Bureau Report
KHYBER: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) late at night carried out an intelligence-based operation in the Lala Cheena Dosarka area of Ali Masjid on the prior information that indicated that ISKP commander Fazal Noor and his group were planning a major attack, sources said on Friday.
The sources said that as soon as the CTD SWAT team and other supporting forces reached the site, militants opened fire, triggering a half-hour firing exchange. During the subsequent search, three militants were found dead, identified as Muhammad Naeem alias Abdul Nasir, Muhammad Karim from Karak and Noor Nabi from Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
Officials said Naeem and Karim were the masterminds of suicide attacks. Three SMGs, twelve magazines with 135 cartridges and three bandoliers were recovered from the killed militants. However, Fazal Noor and his accomplices managed to escape under the cover of darkness. Security forces have launched a search operation to track them down.
The incident comes amid a surge in militancy across Khyber district, where targeted killings, abductions, and threats to civilians and journalists have become routine. With militants regrouping in several parts of the district, the deteriorating security situation has deepened fear among local communities, raising concerns about the safety of citizens and press freedom in the tribal belt.
