Targeted attack: FC official gunned down, brother injured

Men were on their way home when unidentified militants shot them.

SWABI: A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was shot dead while his brother was injured when unidentified militants opened fire at them in Shewa Adda area of Swabi late Wednesday night.

The brothers were on their home on their motorcycle when they were ambushed by the militants near Khat Kallay. “Both were injured in the attack,” said Rajab Ali, an official from Kalu Khan police station.

“Farooq, who was serving in the Frontier Constabulary, was home on a two-day leave,” said his injured brother Rayid Ali. Rayid told the police he runs a cell phone shop in Shewa Adda and his brother was at the shop with him.

According to the police official, the brothers had closed their shop for the day and were on their way back to the village when the incident took place. He said Farooq succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital in Mardan while his brother, Rayid, was taken to Rural Health Centre, Kalu Khan. He added that police had been deployed in the area and they had started a search operation to nab the suspects.

Talking about recent attacks on security officials and police in the district, Zaman Sharif, another police official at Kalu Khan station, said that they were without a lead. “At times people kill each other to settle personal disputes and this includes police and law enforcement agents,” he said. “We have launched investigations and arrested many culprits.” he added.

Rajab Ali told The Express Tribune that they had encountered many militants in the area and had planned to retaliate against their attacks against police and security officials. He hinted that they had a rough plan and would carry out an operation in troubled areas of the district to destroy their hideouts.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.