Four armed robbers, including three Afghan nationals, were killed in a police encounter in the Mehr Gul Kalle area of Peshawar’s Mira Kachori locality, highlighting growing concerns over cross-border criminal and militant infiltration, officials said on Friday.
Police said the gang had been active since 2003, using stolen uniforms and sophisticated tactics to carry out high-profile robberies. The suspects opened fire on officers when a police team raided their hideout following intelligence reports, prompting a retaliatory shootout that left all four dead.
SSP Operations Peshawar, Masood Ahmed Bangash, confirmed the identities of the slain suspects and noted that three were Afghan nationals. The gang was wanted in multiple districts including Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Nowshera for armed robberies, thefts, and other violent crimes. Weapons recovered included Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, and motorcycles used in recent criminal activities.
Officials said the incident validates Pakistan’s concerns about illegal Afghan presence and cross-border criminal activity, underpinning Islamabad’s recent decision to repatriate Afghan nationals. In line with this policy, Pakistan reopened the Torkham border crossing today exclusively for Afghan citizens returning to their homeland — a major relief for those stranded in Khyber district.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, had warned on September 17 that terrorist and militant groups in the region are heavily infiltrated by criminal elements exploiting religion to extort money and commit violent crimes. Regarding the faction known as Fitna al-Khawarij, he said:
“They wear the cloak of religion, but in reality, they are a threat not only to the lives and property of the people but to the peace of the state itself.”
This encounter underlines the intersection of criminal gangs and militant networks in border regions, emphasising the need for sustained intelligence-led operations and vigilant border management.
