By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: In a gruesome discovery, police on Friday recovered the mutilated bodies of four men from the remote Babuzai hills in Katlang tehsil of Mardan district, officials and local sources confirmed.
According to police, the bodies were spotted by residents who immediately informed authorities. A team from Baizai Police Station arrived at the scene, secured the area, and transported the remains to the Type-D Hospital in Katlang for postmortem examination.
One of the deceased was identified as Hamad Ghafoor, son of Raham Ghafoor, a resident of Babuzai and the owner of a stone-crushing plant. He had reportedly been abducted by unidentified individuals four days earlier.
The other victims were identified as:
Zubair Afridi, son of Fazal Akbar, resident of Bara, Khyber District
Shafaq Ahmed, son of Zar Muhammad, from Haripur
Shahabuddin, son of Muhammad Din, hailing from Dir
Sources believe the victims were killed several days before their bodies were dumped in the mountainous area. Officials described the condition of the corpses as “horrific,” indicating signs of brutal violence.
A spokesperson for the Mardan police said a large-scale search operation has been launched in the surrounding area. The zone has been sealed off, and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has formally registered a case.
Initial investigations suggest the area, which borders the volatile Buner district, has witnessed past militant activity. Security forces had recently conducted operations in the same region, including a drone strike by the Pakistan Army targeting suspected militants just months ago.
Authorities said forensic evidence is being collected from the scene, and all available resources are being utilized to trace and arrest those responsible.
