CTD kills six Jamaat-ul-Ahrar operatives in Khanewal district

 Four terrorists flee as law enforcers raid
compound near Jahanian

MULTAN: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) gunned down six terrorists allegedly associated with the TTP’s Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction, while their four accomplices managed to escape in an exchange of fire in the wee hours of Thursday.

According to some CTD officials who shared details on condition of not disclosing their names, a special team from Multan raided a hideout in Chak 98/10-R near Jahanian in the Khanewal district on a tip off that 10 terrorists had taken refuge there.

The raid triggered a firefight, resulting in the killing of six of them. Four others fled the scene, taking advantage of darkness.

The CTD officials said they had foiled a plot of the Taliban/ Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, as the Multan CTD team had been working on a threat alert, revealing that the terrorists were planning to launch attacks in the Khanewal district and their targets were vital installations and government functionaries.

The dead terrorists had been identified as Ghazanfar, Sattar, Khawar, Zulfiqar, Ikramuddin and Abdul Rehman who were of Pakhtun origin. Two hand grenades, two automatic rifles and two pistols were also recovered.

Sources in the CTD say the Jahanian tehsil has been a stronghold of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) which recruited militants from this area in the past. Many years ago, heavy contingent of police had encircled madrassa Jamia Rehmania but the most-wanted terrorists, including LeJ founder Riaz Basra and Ijaz Tarar Jaji, managed to escape from the compound.

Security officials are of the view that some madrasas in Jahanian have been involved in militancy and sabotage activities. Terrorists take temporary refuge in Jahanian before leaving for next destination of sabotage activity.

They told The News that the LeJ helped TTP/ Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in southern Punjab, providing logistics, but the terrorist network was facing problems since the killing of LeJ’s top leadership, including Malik Ishaq, Asif Chhuto and Ghulam Rasool Shah.

The officials did not rule Indian patronisation of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and another TTP splinter group Ahrar-ul-Hind, which was formed by former LeJ leader Maulana Omer Qasmi. The title of Ahrar-ul-Hind means "Fighters from India".

The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Ahrar-ul-Hind were basically created as an expression of rejecting the philosophy behind Pakistan as many Ahraris had rejected the creation of Pakistan. So both the groups are not only against the public but also against the basic ideology of creation of Pakistan according to the Indian agenda.

The officials were confident that the dying network of terrorists in southern Punjab would soon be dismantled.