Nine militants killed in Sheikhupura encounter

LAHORE: Nine suspected militants were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with the counter terrorism department police.

A CTD spokesperson told The Express Tribune that they had received information about a dozen al Qaeda terrorists, hiding in Sheikhupura district.

The militants were planning to launch attacks on police personnel and offices of sensitive agencies in and around Lahore, the spokesperson said.

CTD personnel raided their hideout in Kheroki Malian area to arrest them. The militants were asked to surrender but instead they opened fire on the security forces. In retaliatory fire, CTD personnel gunned down the nine terrorists. Four to five terrorists, however, managed to flee.

The police also recovered six kilograms of explosives, prima cord, four Kalashnikovs, five pistols, bullets and five motorcycles.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2016.