SHANGLA: At least three police personnel were martyred and several militants, including a high-value commander, were killed during a counter-terrorism operation in the Martung area of Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, official sources confirmed on Monday.
According to police officials, the personnel were initially engaged in a search operation in the Kabalgram area when they came under heavy fire from militant affiliates. However, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) provided further context, stating that the operation was proactively launched based on intelligence reports indicating that Taliban affiliates were assembling a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
The CTD revealed that the militant network posed a “consistent threat” to Chinese installations along the Silk Road (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor). In a statement, the CTD said, “The operation was proactively launched by the Counter Terrorism Department in which a wanted Taliban commander with a head money of 5 million PKR was killed. He was identified as Salman who was killed along with another unidentified attacker.”
The third attacker, upon being cornered by security forces, detonated his suicide vest in an attempt to evade capture. The blast resulted in the martyrdom of three policemen who were on the frontline of the operation.
Federal Minister Pays Tribute to Martyrs
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has paid rich tribute to the fallen personnel, praising their bravery in confronting what he termed “Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” a term officially used by the state to refer to the proscribed militant groups.
“The brave sons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police sacrificed their lives and brought 3 terrorists to hell,” the Interior Minister said in a statement.
Expressing his heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the martyred personnel, Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the nation’s gratitude. “I salute the police personnel who foiled the nefarious plans of the terrorists of Fitna-ul-Khawarij. The nation will never forget the sacrifices of the martyrs,” he added.
The security forces have cordoned off the area, and a sanitization operation is underway to eliminate any other hidden threats.
