6 young barbers slaughtered execution-style in N Waziristan

Would-be suicide bomber among four terrorists killed in IBO

MIRANSHAH/ RAWALPINDI:

Six non-local young barbers were slaughtered in an incident of sinister violence that seeks to capitalise on ethnic faultlines in North Waziristan tribal district where four terrorists, including a would-be suicide bomber, were also eliminated in an intelligence based operation (IBO) on Tuesday.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the sickening slaughter in the Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan, but the banned umbrella of terrorist outfits, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, maintains a presence in the region.

The bodies of the six men were discovered in the fields of Moski village, located in Mir Ali. Preliminary investigation suggests that the victims, all of whom hailed from Punjab, were shot dead execution style.

The victims, all below 30 years of age, included two youths less than 18 years’ old, hence without national identity cards (NICs). All of them were barbers, having recently migrated to North Waziristan to pursue their trade. Sources reveal that the victims owned barber shops in Mir Ali Bazaar.

According to sources, the barbers were reported to have been kidnapped before meeting their tragic end. They were abducted under the cloak of darkness and subsequently murdered by unidentified assailants. It was not until morning that the bodies were spotted by locals in the fields, who immediately alerted the law enforcers. The bodies were shifted to Mir Ali Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Read more: Five labourers killed in Wana

Meanwhile, the families of the victims are facing hurdles in repatriating the bodies to their ancestral homes due to financial constraints. Authorities have encouraged them to come to Bannu to claim the bodies; otherwise, they may be buried there.

The distressing news has plunged the victims' households into deep mourning, with parents reportedly suffering from panic attacks due to the devastating loss of their loved ones. The barbers, working in Waziristan, hailed from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, striving to provide for their families' futures.

The motive behind the sickening violence remains unclear as no group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, four terrorists were killed in an intelligence based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan. As per a statement of the military’s media wing, intense fire exchange took place between troops and the terrorists during the conduct of operation.

Read: Two soldiers martyred in North Waziristan IED explosion

“As a result of which four terrorists were sent to hell including a suicide bomber,” the ISPR said in the statement. “The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces and were planning to conduct a high-profile terrorist attack, which was averted due to proactive response by the security forces.”

Arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operation. A sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area, it added. “The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.”

TTP terrorists used to hold virtual sway in North Waziristan until they were comprehensively defeated in a massive military operation codenamed Zarb-e-Azb in 2014. The stability of law and order in Mir Ali Tehsil of North Waziristan has been consistently disrupted over the past few years. The frequency of targeted killings has escalated, with an alarming trend of non-locals becoming the latest targets of such violent incidents.

On December 22, five labourers were killed and a watchman was injured by unidentified gunmen while they were sleeping in Wana tehsil of South Waziristan.

According to the locals, the victims were constructing a police station. At night when they were asleep in their tent, unidentified gunmen shot them dead and fled. Among the dead, three labourers belonged to the Burki tribe of Shikai and two to the Wazir tribe of Suparkai. The bodies were shifted to the hospital for post-mortem