PARACHINAR:
In a successful operation carried out by security forces in the Teri Mangal area of Kurram District, two terrorists, namely Hafeezur Rehman and Wajid Gul, were killed, security forces said on Tuesday.
Both were wanted in connection with the shooting of schoolteachers and had bounties of Rs5 million each on their heads, according to security officials.
Security sources said the two men were part of a group responsible for the killing of five teachers in Teri Mangal in 2023. During the exchange of fire, a local resident was injured with a gunshot wound to the leg.
On May 2023, six school teachers were killed in attacks across Upper Kurram. Officials said it began with the drive-by shooting of a teacher, Muhammad Sharif, on Solozan Road.
Read: Operation launched to bring peace to Kurram
Shortly after, armed men stormed into Teri Mangal High School, entered the staffroom, and opened fire on teachers, who were supervising examinations. Six teachers and one staff member were killed on the spot.
The deceased educators were identified as Mir Hussain, Jawad Hussain, Naveed Hussain, Jawad Ali, Muhammad Ali and Ali Hussain, all members of the Turi Bangash tribe.
Security agencies confirmed that five suspects linked to the May 2023 incident were already on the police and law enforcement’s wanted list. Two of them were killed in the operation while the search for the remaining three fugitives continues.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had announced bounties for Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Wajid Gul and three others in July 2024.
Security forces said further measures are being taken to maintain peace in the area and that operations will continue until the complete elimination of terrorists.
Recent violence in the region
In a separate incident last week, a roadside bomb blast in the Sharamkhel area of Pewar, also in Upper Kurram, killed four people and injured four others, police said.
According to District Police Officer Malik Habib, the explosion occurred as the victims were heading to a nearby hill to collect firewood. Two horses were also killed in the blast.
The deceased were identified as Nawab Ali, Amir Hussain, Hidayat Hussain and Manzar Ali. Three of the injured were later shifted to Peshawar for specialised care, according to Parachinar DHQ Hospital officials.
Violence in Kurram has surged in recent months. In December, more than 100 people were killed in tribal clashes that left parts of the region isolated for weeks.
