In an intelligence-based operation, the Peshawar Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed three terrorists, including the masterminds of the Chamkani suicide attack near Ali Masjid in Khyber district.
According to a CTD spokesperson, the slain militants were identified as Mohammad Naeem alias Abdul Nasir and Mohammad Karim, both residents of Karak, who played key roles in the Chamkani bombing. The third militant, Noor Nabi, was an Afghan national from Nangarhar province.
Acting on a tip-off, a CTD SWAT team raided a suspected hideout. As the team approached, the militants ambushed the security personnel, triggering a gun battle that lasted nearly half an hour. CTD officials said the personnel responded with full force and neutralised the attackers.
Following the firefight, security forces recovered the bodies of the three militants. However, a top commander of the banned Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Fazal Noor, managed to escape under the cover of darkness along with several associates.
The CTD seized a cache of weapons from the site, including three sub-machine guns, 12 magazines, 135 rounds of ammunition, and three bandoliers. Authorities said the group had been planning a major terrorist attack, which was foiled by the timely operation. A search is under way in the area with heavy security presence as forces tighten the cordon to track down the fleeing suspects.
