PESHAWAR          -           Police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) have shot dead the facilitators of the militants who had martyred a DSP and two other cops the other day, CTD official said. The official said that soon after the attack that claimed the lives of DSP Sardar Hussain and two other policemen, the police and CTD personnel launched a search operation in the precincts of Sarband police station. During the search, the militants opened fire at the security personnel, who also retaliated. After an exchange of fire, the security personnel found two dead bodies while some of the militants managed their escape. The CTD official further claimed that the slain, identified as Gul Hai alias Minhaj and Hazrat Umar alias Mansoor, were the facilitators of the militants who had martyred the DSP and two other cops. “They were also wanted in the terrorist attack on ANP leader Haroon Bilour and another attack on AIG Ashraf Noor, besides cases of extortion and IED attacks,” he said, adding that two to three militants had escaped during the shoot-out. In recent weeks, the attacks on police have increased after the collapse of talks between the government and TTP. The police are being targeted with thermal scope guns on several instances, causing anxiety among the public and the police force. The latest and powerful weapons are said to have ended up in the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan, where US and NATO forces were stationed for years. TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani, through a statement, had claimed responsibility for the attack on the cops in Peshawar. He also claimed responsibility for another attack on two cops in Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab province. Following the recent attacks, a high-level meeting was also convened in Peshawar with Chief Secretary Shahzad Bangash and IGP Moazzam Jah Ansari in the chair to further strengthen security preparations across the province. Before dispatching cops, all officers were told to reinforce positions and police stations and to take precautions to ensure their safety. The KP police said the capacity of the force was being strengthened in terms of weapons too. Addressing the participants, the chief secretary said that KP police were fighting against crime, terrorism as well as providing security to the Chinese working on different projects and polio teams in the province in an effective manner. Addressing the moot, the IGP Moazzam Jah Ansari said that full-fledged war had been started against the state and directed the officers to enhance their level of preparedness, send the Jawans to the duty points.