DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Four terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation by security forces against militants in Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday.
Sources said the security forces conducted operations in Bacha Abad and surrounding forests of tehsil Kulachi after information about the presence of militants was received. Four terrorists were killed during the operation in the area.
Two of the slain terrorists were identified as Javed Malana and Abdur Rehman Astarana. Both these terrorists were allegedly involved in several attacks on the security forces including the recent attack on a police mobile van in Purwa. The other two slain terrorists could not be identified.
Kalashnikovs, police wireless sets, hand grenades, explosives used in preparation of suicide jackets and cartridges were also recovered during the operation.
Sources said the security forces were conducting more operations over information of presence of more terrorists in the forests of the area.
Militants in Dera Ismail Khan launch attacks against the security forces, particularly police, and the security forces also conduct intelligence-based operations against these terrorists from time to time.
In the latest such attack, nine people, including six policemen, lost their lives and several others were injured in a suicide blast at Civil Hospital and attack on a police check post in DI Khan on July 21.
Unidentified armed men opened fire on a police check post in Draban area due to which two policemen, Jehangir and Inam, lost their lives. A large contingent of police reached the sport and shifted the bodies of slain policemen to Civil Hospital.
During shifting of the bodies to hospital, a suicide bomber exploded suicide vest near the Trauma Centre of the hospital in which seven people, including four police personnel, lost their lives and 17 others were injured. Sources said the suicide blast happened when the Rescue 1122 vehicles entered the hospital with bodies. A five-year-old girl was also caught in the blast and lost her life.
Those who lost their lives in the blast included Hidayat, Aslam, Khalil, Kashif, Zameer, five-year-old Maryam and another citizen. The injured persons included Sohail, Hamza, Ayub, Asif, Zainul Abidin, Akhtar, Ijaz, Naeem, Azeem, Anwar, Sanaullah, Abid, Fazlur Rehman, Usman and Suleman.
