A joint security operation in a remote mountainous area named Kabulgram of Shangla district in north-western Pakistan was conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), local police and the Elite force on Monday.
Three suspected militants have been killed, and three police officers have been martyred during the sting operation.
The raid took place on Monday in Kabulgram, a mountainous region in Shangla District, following what officials described as credible intelligence about the presence of a militant group.
Terrorists linked to Fitnat-ul-Khawarij
Police said the suspects were believed to be members of a group referred to by authorities as “Fitnat-ul-Khawarij”. Officials said the group had been using natural caves in the mountainous terrain as hideouts.
According to the CTD, the militants were wanted in connection with previous attacks, including vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attacks targeting Chinese nationals.
Police also said the group’s presence near key road routes was considered a threat to strategic infrastructure projects in the region.
When security personnel moved towards the caves, they came under fire, leading to what officials described as a heavy exchange of gunfire.
Three suspects were killed. Police identified one of them as Noor Islam, also known as Salman or “Khoog Bacha”, a resident of Kabulgram.
Authorities said he was a senior figure in the group and had a government-announced reward of five million rupees on his head.
One of the other men has not yet been identified. Officials said a third suspect detonated explosives during the operation.
Police casualties, ongoing search
During the exchange, three police officers were killed. They were named as LHC Maqbool Ahmed, LHC Fida Hussain and LHC Saeed-ur-Rehman.
An Elite Force officer was also injured and is receiving medical treatment.
Police said that after the initial clash, other suspected militants positioned on higher ground fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in what appeared to be an attempt to help their associates escape.
Security forces returned fire and pushed them back, officials added. Search and surveillance operations continue in the area on Tuesday.
Officials praise officers
In a statement, the Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Zulfiqar Hameed, praised the officers who were killed and injured in the operation.
He said the provincial police force had a long record of confronting militancy in difficult conditions.
Shangla district lies in a mountainous part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces have carried out a number of operations in recent years against armed groups.
Also Read: Khawarij Attack foiled in Bajaur: 12 militants killed, three army soldiers injured
