Four key militant commanders killed in Bara

Khyber Agency’s PA claims security forces killed Jamil alias Jangrez – most notorious among militants of TGG

PESHAWAR:

Khyber Agency’s political agent (PA) claimed on Friday that security forces have killed commander Jamil alias Jangrez – the most notorious among militants of Tariq Geedar Group (TGG) – along with three other key commanders.

“A platoon-sized contingent of security forces carried out a very sensitive operation in Tehsil Bara on August 14, in which key members of the terrorist group were killed,” said Khyber Agency’s PA Shahab Ali Shah, while addressing a press conference.

Flanked by senior police officers, Shah said members of the TGG, including commander Jamil alias Jangrez, commander Shahid Ullah and commander Shahid alias Balagy, were killed during the raid.

He said the operation was carried out on August 14 but it was kept secret as the bodies were (mutilated) beyond recognition, and the authorities first wanted to confirm their identities though DNA tests.

“The DNA tests have been carried out at a renowned national laboratory which confirmed the identifies of the four terrorists,” Shah said. The PA said all the four terrorists were involved in a number of terrorist activities in Peshawar and its suburbs and a total of 68 FIRs were registered against them in different police stations.

“They were involved in several high intensity suicides bomb blasts and attacks in Peshawar and its surroundings,” he said.

Shah said the four militants were also involved in an attack on Frontier Corps commander Sefawat Ghayour, beheading of police officials,  including SP Khurshaid Khan and Kalam Khan, and attack on Major Jahanzeb.

“Besides, they were also involved in targeting innocent civilians and allegedly planning and executing bomb blast in Meena Bazaar [in which more than 80 people had lost their lives] and the twin suicide blasts at All Saints Church,” he claimed.

Shah also accused them of firing at the PIA aircraft, of carrying out grenade attacks on Shamma and Picture House cinemas, attacking elders of peace committees Mashokhel and a number of other targeted killings, extortion and other crimes in Peshawar and elsewhere.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2014.