DI Khan encounter: High-profile sectarian militant killed by police

Waleed Akbar’s accomplice injured, arrested

DI KHAN: A high-profile militant was killed and his accomplice injured in a clash with the police in this southern district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhaw (K-P) early Wednesday morning.

The militant, Waleed Akbar, and his accomplice, Abubakar, were allegedly among several militants who had escaped during the DI Khan jailbreak on July 30 last year. They were blamed for several attacks on the Shia community and other incidents of target killing.

Officials said that District Police Officer (DPO) Sadiq Baloch and his team were patrolling Prova Road when they signalled a group of suspects on motorcycles to stop. The men didn’t stop and instead sped ahead. The police began chasing them but the men opened fire on the law-enforcers which was returned. In the ensuing gunfight that continued for over 30 minutes Waleed was killed on the spot whereas Abubakar was injured and arrested. Two other militants managed to escape, Baloch told The Express Tribune.

He recalled that Waleed Akbar was involved in several terrorist acts, including the suicide bombings on 9th and 10th of Moharram in DI Khan city, attack on the DPO office and a series of targeted killings. He had been sentenced by various courts to around 1,545-year rigorous imprisonment.

Waleed and Abubakar were allegedly involved in suicide bomb attacks on two of the mourning processions on Muharram 9 and 10, 2012. At least 26 people were killed and scores of others were injured in both the incidents.  Officials believe that the two militants conducted other attacks, including a fatal suicide attack on K-P Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sardar Israrullah Khan Gandapur and target killing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stalwart Faqir Jamshed.

On the eve of his escape from the Dera Ismail Khan jail, Waleed Akbar had gunned down four Shia prison constables.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2014.