By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Unknown gunmen shot dead a Frontier Corps(FC) sepoy in the Sultankhel Khyber area of Landikotal tehsil on Tuesday, police sources said.
A police officer told this correspondent that FC soldier identified as Jawad Khan Afridi, son of Afsar Khan, was serving in the Frontier Corps posted in Waziristan. He said the slain soldier was on leave when unknown gunmen tracked him and opened indiscriminate firing on him in front of his home in Zazikhel village in Landikotal around 6:45 pm. The assailants had fled from the scene after committing the crime.
The police official added that the martyred soldier had received several gunshots to his body and died on the spot. His body was later taken to the hospital for an autopsy.
The brazen attack sent shockwaves across the locality, with residents describing the incident as a tragic reminder of the fragile security situation in Landikotal. Local elders and villagers gathered in mourning, while police launched a search operation to trace the attackers.
Observers note that such targeted killings have been on the rise in Landikotal and other parts of Khyber district in recent months, raising fears of the militant network’s growing presence. The resurgence of violence has created a climate of fear, with many residents worried about the return of the dark days of militancy.
