K-P Police kills 2 terrorists linked to Rescue 1122 driver murder in Bannu encounter

MIRAN SHAH:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police on Saturday killed two suspected terrorists involved in the killing of a Rescue 1122 driver, while another terrorist was also killed in a separate operation, according to Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan.

He told The Express Tribune that an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was carried out near Khojari in the Circular Road area, where an exchange of fire took place between police and terrorists. In the operation, two suspected terrorists were killed while their accomplices managed to escape.

RPO Khan said the slain terrorists were wanted in several crimes, particularly in the murder of Bannu Rescue 1122 driver Usman Khan.

Unidentified terrorists had shot Usman a day ago in what was described as the first killing of an emergency services employee in the province's history. Police said the attack took place in the Zarghar Mamikhel area, where armed terrorists opened fire and fled.

His body was taken to the district headquarters hospital for post-mortem examination, while it was confirmed that he was the brother of Police Constable Rukhsar.

Read: Rescue 1122 worker shot dead in Bannu

RPO Khan visited the native village of police personnel martyred at Fateh Khel police post and offered prayers for them.

On the occasion, he reiterated the resolve to continue large-scale operations against terrorists. He added that operations against terrorists would continue without interruption until a lasting peace was achieved in the region.

In a separate incident, he said another suspected terrorist was killed during an operation by security forces in the Sardi Khel area of Jani Khel.

On May 11, 15 police personnel were martyred in a brazen attack on a Bannu police checkpoint, as a banned outfit, Ittehad Mujahideen Pakistan, belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, claimed responsibility.

On the night between Saturday and Sunday, terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Fateh Khel police checkpoint in Bannu, triggering a massive blast that completely reduced the structure to rubble.

On April 20, a police constable was martyred in the Akhundan forest civil camp area near the Bannu border during a Counter Terrorism Department intelligence-based operation.

On April 6, two police personnel and a security guard were martyred in separate firing incidents in Bannu. The first attack occurred outside a National Database and Registration Authority office in the Baka Khel area, where gunmen opened fire on security staff. Two officers, Constable Rafiullah and security guard Gul Shah Noor, were killed at the scene.

In a separate incident near the Miryan Kinger police station, another police constable, Sher Muhammad, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

K-P has been battling terrorism since the United States' ouster from Afghanistan, with terrorists often crossing the border to target police convoys and vehicles, resulting in the deaths of several officials and personnel.

The province has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, accounting for the highest number of incidents in the country. Out of a total of 5,397 reported incidents last year, K-P recorded 3,811 incidents, followed by Balochistan with 1,557. Only 29 incidents were reported from the rest of the country. A total of 2,597 terrorists were killed during the year.