Police kill three militants in Swat

Following an intelligence tip-off, search operation was conducted in the Manja area of Kabal tehsil, says Swat DPO

MINGORA: Police and security forces claimed to have killed three wanted militants in a shootout after a joint operation in Swat on Tuesday. The police also arrested 12 suspects during the search operation.

Swat DPO Saleem Marwat told The Express Tribune that following an intelligence tip-off, a search operation was conducted in the Manja area of Kabal tehsil soon after a police van was ambushed by armed men late Monday night.

Police sources said unidentified assailants had opened fire on a police mobile leaving an assistant sub-inspector and his two security guards injured. After the attack, the police with the help of security forces cordoned off the area and started a search operation.



DPO Marwat said the security personnel located the militants’ hideout and ordered them to surrender but they opened fire at the police. In the ensuing encounter, the three suspects were shot dead.

The police officer said the three men were key militants involved in anti-state activities. They were wanted in cases of attacking law enforcement personnel, security personnel and village defence committee members. The attack on the police patrol van in the Totano Bandai area was claimed by a banned outfit.

This was the third such attack on a police van in the past couple of months in Swat. In May, two police vans were attacked in Bara Bandai and Charbagh areas of the Swat district. Five policemen were wounded in the attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2016.