Soldier hurt in Hayatabad operation embraces martyrdom

PESHAWAR: A soldier, who had sustained injuries during an operation in Phase-VII Hayatabad on Tuesday last, succumbed to his injuries at hospital, officials said on Saturday.

Lance Naik Zafar had sustained injuries during the exchange of fire with alleged terrorists hiding in a house in Phase-VII, Hayatabad. He was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar where he embraced martyrdom on Saturday.

An assistant sub-inspector of the police, Qamar Alam, was also martyred while two soldiers, including Zafar, were wounded in the operation that ended after the killing of five alleged terrorists in the 16-hour long shoot-out.

Some political workers from the Khyber tribal district even claimed at a press conference on Saturday that those killed in the operation were innocent and that they had been implicated in the case by some police officers to settle an old score.

There have been a number of social media posts that mentioned that one member of the group was arrested since the day of the operation. No official, however, confirmed the news.

Apart from the exchange of fire, a number of blasts occurred and firing took place throughout the night between Monday and Tuesday, scaring the people in the vicinity, especially women and children.

The blasts that razed the building to the ground also affected the nearby houses. Many families were evacuated from the nearby homes when the operation was taking place.