MARDAN - A sub-inspector and an alleged terrorist were killed when police and security forces conducted a joint raid in the limits of Chura Police Station on Thursday late night, police sources said.
They said the security forces and police got information that an alleged militant Tariq, son of Bawar Khan, resident of Junghara, along with his father Bawar Khan, son of Sabit Khan, and brothers Shah Wali Khan, Abid and Nadeem with his other companions Javed, son of Salman, and Sardar Hussain, son of Muhmmad Hussain, residents of Junghara, were present in their house in Jungahara village in the limits of Chura Police Station.
A police team including personnel from Jabbar Police Station, Shahbaz Gahri Police Station and other police stations, headed by DSP Rural Nowsher Khan, SHOs of different police stations and other security forces officials, raided the said house at 2:30 am late night and started a joint operation. The alleged militants opened fire on the police party.
During the course of the operation, sub-inspector Zarnosh Khan got seriously injured and died on the spot. Security forces officials and police also opened fire on the militants. Bawar Khan got seriously injured. He was shifted to DHQ hospital, where he died due to serious injuries.
The sources said the security forces and police lunched a search operation in the area and arrested Nadeem and Abid, sons of Bawar, Javed, son of Salman and Sardar Hussain, son of Muhammad Hussain. They said Tariq and Shahwali, taking advantage of night darkness, escaped from the spot. The sources said the alleged militant Tariq was wanted to local police and security forces in different cases of terror.
They said sub0inspector Zarnosh Khan belonged to But Sari village in the limits of Shahbaz Gahri Police Station and he was performing duty in the Shahbaz Gahri Police Station.
Funeral prayers of the martyred SI were offered at his village at 2:30 pm and he was buried in his native graveyard. Sources said the police also recovered weapons from the alleged militants.
They registered FIR under section 302, 324, 353, 148 and 149. Sources said for the last few weeks alleged militants had been active in the limits of Jabbar, Chura and Katlang Police Stations and they had blown up several government schools in the last few weeks of the previous year in the said police stations limits.
APP adds: Eight militants were apprehended during the encounter between militants and law enforcement agencies in Bakhshala. 
Meanwhile, KP police chief Akbar Khan Hoti has said that without the active public support, police cannot fully eradicate crimes from the society.
He was talking to a 14-member delegation led by Lt Col (Retd) Sher Afghan Khan and Arsala Khan of district Mardan, who called on him at his office here on Friday.
The police chief said protection of life, honour and property of the people was the prime responsibility of police, however public support was prerequisite for maintenance of peace and eradication of crime from the society, as without it the dream of crime-free society cannot come true.
He informed that public was morally bound to pinpoint the miscreants and criminals. The IGP informed the delegation that all possible steps would be taken to restore the confidence of the public on police so that public could provide much needed help and cooperation to the police without any hesitation.
Earlier, each member of the delegation apprised the police chief regarding the problems of policing in their localities, which were mostly about traffic haphazard in Mardan and establishment of police posts.
The IG assured that effective steps would be taken to overcome traffic problems in Mardan and the case of establishment of police posts would be taken up with the government.
The members of delegation thanked the IGP for giving them time and listening to their problems.