PESHAWAR - Khyber Agency Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah said on Friday that a key militant commander and facilitator of a deadly terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar was killed and his six accomplices were arrested in injured condition during a successful raid of security forces at Jamrud of Khyber Agency.
The Political Agent told a news conference here that the security forces conducted a successful raid at Ghundai area of Tehsil Jamrud and killed commander Saddam and arrested his six accomplices in injured condition.
He said Saddam was a member of the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and was the mastermind of several attacks. The Political Agent said he was accused of being the facilitator in the Peshawar school attack.
The Political Agent said Saddam was key operational commander of the Tariq Gedar group of TTP who facilitated the deadly attack on Army Public School at Warsak Road that had killed about 150 people including 134 innocent children and over 100 injured.
He said Saddam was wanted by law enforcement agencies in a number of cases including attack on polio team, security forces and various kidnappings for ransom.
Shah said that Operation Khyber-I was extended to other areas of Khyber Agency and that militants are being hunted down. He said tribal people are extending full cooperation to security forces.
“Authorities are currently interrogating the injured terrorists,” Shah said. He described Saddam as an important TTP commander and said he had masterminded several bomb attacks.
Saddam and his accomplices had been involved in several recent attacks on security forces that had resulted in heavy casualties, Shah said.
The Taliban and other militants have taken refuge in Khyber from a major army offensive launched in June in North Waziristan.The Pakistani military says it has killed more than 1,700 militants so far in its heavy offensive in the tribal zone, with 126 soldiers having lost their lives.