Militant commander, bomb-maker among 10 killed in northwest operations

By Staff Reporter

PESHAWAR: Security forces killed at least 10 militants, including a commander and a bomb-making expert, in separate operations in North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat districts, officials said Monday, as the military intensifies its campaign against insurgent groups in the country’s volatile northwest.

In North Waziristan, a restive tribal region near the Afghan border, security forces launched a large-scale operation in the Datta Khel area, targeting militant strongholds in the rugged Khursin and Doga Macha regions.

Eight militants, linked to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Jaish-i-Mehdi Karwan groups, were killed, security sources said. Among the dead was a bomb-making expert, though officials did not disclose the individual’s identity. The sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said some militants remain at large, hiding among civilians to avoid further strikes. This tactic has raised concerns about civilian safety in the densely populated area, where tribal communities often face the fallout of such operations.

In a separate clash late Sunday in Lakki Marwat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security forces engaged militants near the Mangala forest during a search-and-strike mission. A police official described the encounter, which involved police and counter-terrorism units. “When the law enforcers reached near the forest, they saw eight to ten terrorists armed with advanced weapons,” the official said.

The militants opened fire, triggering a 30-minute gunfight. Two militants were killed, while others escaped into the dense forest under cover of darkness. Security forces recovered weapons and ammunition and transferred the bodies to THQ Hospital in Serai Naurang for identification.

Violence in Lakki Marwat extended to a midnight attack on the home of head constable Sanaullah in the Mir Qalam Pull area, where two of his relatives were wounded. In a preliminary report, Sanaullah described how barking dogs alerted his family to the assailants.

“In the meanwhile, an intense firing started, and he immediately took position in the rooftop watchtower,” Sanaullah said, referring to his response during the attack. His brother, Rafaqatullah, 22, and wife, Rehana Bibi, 40, were shot when they stepped outside their rooms. Sanaullah returned fire for 20 minutes, driving the attackers away. The injured were taken to a hospital in Bannu, and a search for the assailants was underway.

Also on Sunday night, six suspected bandits in Lakki Marwat fired on three motorcyclists near Pasani, under Serai Gambila police jurisdiction. The victims, riding a motorcycle, were signalled to stop with a torch but were shot after failing to comply. They were treated at THQ Hospital in Serai Naurang, and police filed a case against the unidentified attackers.