KHYBER AGENCY/Peshawar - The security forces yesterday claimed to have killed five militants and injured scores of them in air strikes conducted by Pakistani jet fighters in Rajgal area of Khyber Agency.
The forces official, while sharing details said that the fighters pounded suspected sanctuaries of the militants in Rajgal area of Jamrud Tehsil.
According to local sources members of banned Bara-based Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and the Daesh had taken refuge in the area.
However, due to remoteness of the areas the casualties could be not confirmed of the militants. It is to be mentioned here that for the last one year the forces have launched a purge operation in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency to wipe out militancy from the area.
SUSPECTED FACILITATORS OF CHARSADDA ATTACK ARRESTED
Law enforcement agencies on Wednesday claimed to have arrested three alleged facilitators of the suicide bombers that attacked a courts’ complex in Charsadda on Tuesday.
District police officer (DPO) Charsadda Sohail Khalid said they had arrested three alleged facilitators of Charsadda court attack in which eight people had been killed and 16 injured. According to the D PO, police conducted raids in suburbs of tehsil Tangi and apprehended the alleged facilitators.
Two of the suspected terrorists are stated be from neighbouring Afghanistan while another one from Mohmand Agency, he informed. He said it seemed that the terrorists had entered from Mohmand Agency to Shabqadar tehsil of district Charsadda.
Police officials said all evidences had been gathered from the site and terrorists’ fingers prints had been sent for DNA test. The DPO said the terrorists apparently wanted to target lawyers of the lower courts.
Meanwhile, the suspected suicide bombers could be seen in footage of a close-circuit television (CCTV) camera. In the video, the suicide bombers are seen to have covered their upper bodies as they proceed to the session court in tehsil Charsadda. However, police said when they were asked to take off their shawls for checking, they refused to do so, which raised suspicion. Policemen on duty at the gate of the court again asked them to remove the chadar, however they pretended to have not heard the order.
When they did not obey for the third time, the police opened fire on them. Meanwhile, one of the suicide bombers blew himself up after sensing the situation.
The other two bombers opened fire at police and hurled grenades. An encounter between the bombers and the police continued for about 20 minutes during which both the bombers were killed, police said, adding that all the three suicide bombers came through the fields and attempted to enter the tehsil courts at about 11.30 a.m.
Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council announced two-day mourning against the continuous attacks on lawyers’ community. On Wednesday, the community observed a complete strike and stayed away from courts to condemn the terrorist attacks.
In district Charsadda, a walk through gate was installed at the front gate of the courts’ complex, besides deploying heavy contingents of police around the courts.
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