Four terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Khwarij’s Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Jamroz Group, including an Afghan national, were eliminated during an intelligence-based operation by the Counter Terrorism Department’s SWAT team in the Maira Kachori area of Peshawar.
Acting on confirmed intelligence, the CTD Peshawar Region SWAT team conducted the operation in the graveyard of Mehr Gul Kalay in Maira Kachori. According to the CTD, the terrorists were planning attacks targeting security forces and intended to damage government installations.
Four terrorists were eliminated during the operation, while several others managed to flee under the cover of darkness. Their bodies were taken into custody as security personnel launched a search operation in the surrounding area.
A search of the site and the terrorists’ possessions led to the recovery of three Kalashnikovs, a pistol, a hand grenade, seven magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition. The recovered weapons and ammunition were secured for further investigation and forensic analysis.
An Afghan refugee card was also recovered from the pocket of one of the eliminated terrorists. According to the card, the individual was identified as Syed Wali, son of Abdul Ghani, a resident of Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
Possible Link to Suicide Attackers
The development assumes added significance in light of an earlier threat alert issued by intelligence agencies warning that three suicide attackers had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan through Khyber district.
According to the CTD, evidence recovered during the operation indicates that Syed Wali could be one of the three suspected suicide attackers referred to in the alert.
The identification of an Afghan national among the eliminated terrorists, coupled with the suspected link to the earlier threat alert, is likely to provide investigators with additional leads regarding the movement and intended targets of the terrorist network.
The CTD said further investigation and forensic examination of the recovered weapons, ammunition and other evidence are under way, while efforts continue to trace the terrorists who escaped from the area.
