18 held in Peshawar search operation after series of attacks

PESHAWAR: A grand search operation was conducted in different villages in the limits of the Badaber Police Station of the provincial capital following frequent terrorist attacks on police in the area.

An official said 18 suspects were taken into custody during the operation.

Apart from the local police, the Elite Force, Anti-Terrorist Squad, contingents of the army and Frontier Constabulary, Bomb Disposal Unit and ladies police conducted the operation in Shahabkhel, Bazidkhel, Sheikh Mohammadi, Kagawala and adjacent towns.

“Those held during the operation are being interrogated to find their connection with the recent attacks. The operation was conducted to improve the law and order situation in the area,” an official said on Wednesday.

Apart from the search operation in the southern villages of the provincial capital, security has been upgraded in all the urban and suburban towns for the rest of Ramazan.

An official said that apart from increasing patrolling, the entry points had been strengthened while the station house officers concerned had been directed to remain vigilant and keep an eye on any suspicious movement in their area. More deployment has been made in the markets, crowded places and outside major mosques.

An increase was witnessed in grenade attacks in Peshawar in recent weeks that has triggered concern among the residents as well as the law-enforcers.

The prime target of the grenade attacks remained the police force.

On Monday, the office of superintendent of police Saddar on Kohat Road was attacked with a hand-grenade, exactly when a grand search operation in the area was planned. No casualty was reported in the attack as the explosive did not go off.

The terrorists also hurled a hand-grenade the same night into the police post Shahabkhel in the limits of Badaber Police Station. The blast damaged a portion of the post but did not cause any casualty.

The search operation was postponed for a day after the two attacks.

The officials also started investigation as to how the information of the operation leaked to the attackers who simultaneously hurled grenades at two police buildings on that night.

In the recent few months, the attacks with hand-grenades have recorded an increase.

Grenades were hurled at the Phandu and Badaber police stations, a police post in Industrial Estate Hayatabad as well as on a police patrolling car in Badaber, triggering concerns. Besides, few houses have also come under attack with hand-grenades in the past weeks.