Terrorists involved in judge’s abduction killed

Security forces conducted a joint IBO in Tank on reported presence of militants

RAWALPINDI:

Security forces on Thursday killed three terrorists during a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, the military said in a statement.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the operation, following a fierce exchange of gunfire, security forces successfully neutralised three terrorists, including ringleaders Azmat alias Azmati, Karamat alias Hanzla, and terrorist Rehan.

The slain militants remained “actively involved” in several terrorist activities in the area, including the recent abduction of a district and sessions judge of South Waziristan district, the military’s media wing stated.

It further asserted that the security forces remain determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.

Earlier on Saturday, Sessions Judge Shakirullah Marwat, stationed in South Waziristan, was abducted by unidentified kidnappers near a village located at the junction of Tank and Dera districts on Dera Ismail Khan’s Tank Road.

Read more: At least four terrorists killed in Tank IBO

He returned home safely, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) confirmed on Monday. The police added that the judge was recovered without making any deal with the abductors.

The judge was recovered after a local jirga intervened. However, the provincial or district administration did not share any details or official statement in this regard.