DERA GHAZI KHAN
Four al-Qaeda linked terrorists were killed in a shootout with the personnel of Counter-Terrorism Department and other Law Enforcement Agencies near Basti Ealyani towards Wadoor area the other night.
However, key commander of al-Qaeda’s sub-continent branch Shoaib Cheema alias Hanif along with another accomplice managed to escape the scene, the officials said on Monday.
The authorities said that the raid was carried in the limits of Gadani Police following a tip-off about the presence of al-Qaeda linked terrorists.
They informed that the raid was conducted on a house situated on Wadoor Road, about 6 km from DG Khan city where armed culprits opened fire on the LEAs personnel.
“Four militants were killed in the shootout afterwards, the officials said in statement issued on Monday.
They said that key commander of Al-Qaeda’s sub-continent branch Shoaib Cheema alias Hanif managed to escape along with an accomplice from the scene. They said the four terrorists killed during the shootout were members of Al-Qaeda.
AGENCIES ADD: the police said the terrorists had entered Punjab via Balochistan and wanted to launch a major terror activity in the province. The terrorists were affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the police added.
The LEAs personnel recovered weapons, hand grenades and explosive material from the house where terrorists were hiding.
The bodies were shifted to nearby hospital where one of the deceased terrorist was identified as Salman Hassan alias Baloch.
The suspected terrorist Salman Hassan had been involved in attacks on religious places and Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital.