Taking action: Police arrest 11 suspected militants

Sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers confiscated.

DAGGAR: Police officials claimed to have arrested 11 suspected militants in Gokand, Buner on Wednesday and confiscated a huge quantity of modern and sophisticated weapons from their possession.

Based on intelligence reports, a search operation was initiated in the mountainous region late Tuesday night and the action continued till Wednesday morning. The detained men included eight from Buner and Swat.

Briefing the media about the search operation, police officials said a gang of suspected militants and criminals established a network in Gokand which is adjacent to Elum mountain. Besides targeting activists and stalwarts of different political parties, the militants were allegedly involved in attacks on security forces personnel and government installations. They claimed the detained men had been facilitating and informing militants, while also engaged in their own criminal and terrorist acts. Police officials added the suspects were taken to (undisclosed) locations for further investigation.

Officials said the chief of this group of militants, Bakht Raaj, was recently killed during a shoot-out with law-enforcement agencies. Following his death at the end of February, security was tightened in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2015.