Four militants hanged in Kohat

Eight terrorists killed in Tirah air strikes

Eight more terrorists including commander killed in Turbat; two security personnel martyred in Mastung explosion

LANDIKOTAL/TURBAT/MASTUNG: Eight terrorists were killed in bombardment by jets in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency. Meanwhile, eight militants, including a commander, were killed in Turbat district of Balochistan in an operation by security forces on Tuesday. Two security personnel were also martyred in a bomb attack in Mastung. Meanwhile, four militants were also hanged in Kohat at the Army Detention Centre, official sources said.

The sources said the militants identified as Noor Saeed from the Lower Kurram Agency, Murad Khan of Lakki Marwat, Inayatullah Khan from South Waziristan and Israruddin of Swat were involved in attacks on security forces in Fata.

The sources added that these men had also facilitated the attack on the Army Public School and College in Peshawar.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, had signed the black warrants of these militants on December 9 after they were convicted by the military courts and sentenced to death. The militants were being held at the Army Detention Centre, located adjacent to the Kohat Prison, and were hanged early in the day, the sources added.

The authorities have beefed up security across the Kohat district and adjoining areas to avoid any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, according to reports, fighter aircraft targeted terrorists’ hideouts in Tirah’s Rajgal area, killing eight of them and injuring 11 others. Several hideouts of the militants were also destroyed in the air strikes. According to sources, security forces have taken control of important areas of Tirah Valley.  The terrorists who were killed belonged to the banned TTP.

Meanwhile, a commander of a banned outfit was among the eight terrorists killed in a gunbattle with the Frontier Corps Balochistan in the Sirin Kahn area of Kech, Turbat, on Tuesday.

An FC spokesman said that following intelligence information about the presence of militants in the Sirin Kahn area, the FC along with other law enforcement personnel launched a search operation which led to an exchange of fire between security forces and the militants.

“Eight militants including a commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Balochistan were killed in the gunbattle,” he said, adding that automatic weapons were also recovered from the site.  He said that the militants killed in the operation were involved in killing innocent labourers and attacking the FC vehicles.

Meanwhile, two personnel of the Frontier Corps Balochistan were martyred and two others were injured in a remote-controlled blast which hit an FC vehicle in the Isplinji area of Mastung.

An FC spokesman said that unidentified terrorists had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on roadside and detonated it with a remote control when an official vehicle carrying the FC personnel was passing through the area. “As a result, two FC personnel were martyred and two others were injured,” he said.

The law enforcement agencies and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the dead and injured to hospital. The law enforcement personnel cordoned off the entire area to trace out the suspects.