Targeted: Search launched after attack on peace committee members
A search operation was conducted in Ningolai village, Kabal tehsil of Swat district on Tuesday by the security forces, following an armed attack on members of the village peace committee.
According to Ningolai police, on Monday night Ali Siraj and Zafar Ali were returning home after offering prayers when men opened indiscriminate fire on them, leaving them critically injured.
Villagers rushed the two to Saidu Teaching Hospital.
Both Siraj and Ali are members of the village peace committee, while Siraj is also a local Awami National Party leader (ANP).
Following the incident, security forces imposed a temporary curfew and launched a search operation to catch the attackers.
According to police, military uniforms and shoes, pistols and a huge cache of ammunition were seized from a house. However, no arrests were made.
Ningolai was a stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Swat chapter during 2007 before the Pakistan Army cleared the district of militants in an operation.
Targeted attacks on peace committee members frequently take place in the district by unidentified militants and have resulted in the deaths of several prominent committee members.
On June 11, militants opened fire at a car in Bara Bhandai, Swat killing three peace committee members, one of whom was also a local ANP leader.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2014.
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