Captain martyred, seven militants killed in Hangu intelligence-based operation: ISPR

WEB DESK: A Pakistan Army captain was martyred and seven militants killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, security forces launched the operation in Hangu on Friday after receiving reports of the presence of militants belonging to what the state refers to as “Fitna al-Khawarij”, its designation for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Troops engaged the militants effectively during the operation, the statement said, adding that the militants, described as “Indian-sponsored,” retreated into a mosque in a bid to evade fire, disregarding the sanctity of the site. Seven militants were killed in the exchange that followed.

The statement said 27-year-old Captain Hamza Akram, from Narowal district in Punjab, was martyred during the exchange of fire while leading his troops from the front in pursuit of the militants. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who ISPR said had been involved in a series of attacks against security forces, law enforcement personnel and civilians. A sanitisation operation is now underway to clear the area of any remaining militants.

President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the slain officer, saying the nation remained indebted to the sacrifices of soldiers like him and offering prayers for his family. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed condolences, saying the captain had made the ultimate sacrifice for the country and would be remembered.

The Hangu operation comes a day after ISPR reported that ten militants were killed in two separate clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the first, militants attempting to attack security checkposts in South Waziristan’s Azam Warsak area were repelled, with eight killed in the process. In a second incident in Dir district, security forces killed two more militants.

Separately, security forces killed a senior militant commander identified as Jamidullah during an operation in Jani Khel, in Bannu district, a security official said. The commander, described as an expert in quadcopter use, was targeted and killed in an intelligence-based operation in the area.