Seven militants en route to launch attack killed near Sheikhupura

[Devil Soul]

Seven militants en route to launch attack killed near Sheikhupura
By AFP
Published: February 17, 2016

LAHORE: Seven militants who were on their way to launch an attack in Punjab were killed after an exchange of gunfire with police, officials said Wednesday.

The incident took place around midnight in the Sheikhupura district, according to a statement from the provincial Counter Terrorism Department, which said the men belonged to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the anti-Shia Laskhar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) groups.

Behind bars : Suspected ‘TTP militant’ terrorist arrested

The Pakistani Taliban have been waging an insurgency against the state since 2007, while LeJ is believed to have been behind some of the most high-profile terror incidents in recent years including the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.

But so-called “encounter” killings like Wednesday’s incident have long aroused suspicion among rights activists in Pakistan. They say police use them to dispose of suspects without going through the courts.

The police statement said that a dozen or so militants were riding motorcycles and were on their way to attack police when they were intercepted.

LeJ founding member, three others killed in police encounter in Lahore

“When the firing stopped, seven unknown terrorists were found dead,” it said, adding that the men were killed “by firing from their accomplices who fled from the scene taking benefit of darkness”.

Shahzad Sultan, a senior local police official confirmed the incident death and toll.

Last year, in late July the detained leader of LeJ was killed in a similar shootout.

LeJ chief Malik Ishaq killed in Muzaffargarh police encounter

Malik Ishaq was shot dead along with fellow LeJ militants, including senior commanders, in Punjab as his cadres tried to free him from custody, police said.

Police said they had recovered explosives, a detonation cord, guns and ammunition from the slain men. No police were killed or injured in the encounter.

 

[Areesh]

Good work. RIH

 

[The Eagle]

The most of rights activists are lovers of aman ki tamasha.... Good work guys... keep it up....

 

[Sipahi]

Good Job guys.

Thats why a full fledged operation needed in Punjab.

 

[Maarkhoor]

No police men hurt all the terrorists killed........no muqadma no FIR...sab dogs muqablay mien paar..

 

[New Resolve]

un key saath LOL ho gaya.

Waisey Shehbaz Sharif aur kuch karey ya na karey, he is encounter specialist.

 

[Kambojaric]

Rangers need to do operation in Punjab too asap.

 

[haviZsultan]

I suspect these are extra judicial killings but I am not going to complain as such extra judicial killings especially in the time of Chaudhry Aslam were responsible for greatly reducing violence and terrorism in Karachi if not all of Pakistan. I also know that the security organizations most particularly police use torture as a method to reveal the plots of these terrorists and make them admit their crimes.

We need to however rely more on forensic evidence and details rather than just confessions achieved through torture. However the tactic has indeed been used very successfully by chaudhry aslam.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I suspect these are extra judicial killings but I am not going to complain as such extra judicial killings especially in the time of Chaudhry Aslam were responsible for greatly reducing violence and terrorism in Karachi if not all of Pakistan. I also know that the security organizations most particularly police use torture as a method to reveal the plots of these terrorists and make them admit their crimes.

We need to however rely more on forensic evidence and details rather than just confessions achieved through torture. However the tactic has indeed been used very successfully by chaudhry aslam.

What this means for the common man in Pakistan (without high level connections) is that they ensure all their weapons are properly registered and licensed.

The methods being used are pretty crude, and if unlicensed weaponry is found, its going to be a case of 'guilty till you prove your innocence'.

 

[Shoaib Rathore]

good work.

 

[CENTCOM]

I commend the Pakistani security forces for their efforts in countering terrorism. Who knows how many lives were saved by stopping these terrorists. Pakistani security forces must be commended for their efforts, and I am hopeful that day is not far when peace will prevail throughout the country.

Ali Khan
Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM

 

[Icarus]

I commend the Pakistani security forces for their efforts in countering terrorism. Who knows how many lives were saved by stopping these terrorists. Pakistani security forces must be commended for their efforts, and I am hopeful that day is not far when peace will prevail throughout the country.

Ali Khan
Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM

In light of the fracas in Congress, I felt compelled to bring out this classic. Forgive the the low resolution:

Pakistan is on the front line against terrorism and has given everything it has to this war because the future of our country lies at a completely alternate course than the one that the terrorists have charted our for us. However, what does not help our struggle is the fact that despite all the effort and sacrifice, Pakistan is seen with suspicion around the world and our motives are questioned, even after losing 85,000 people and several billions of dollars to this war.
Pakistan is committed to seeing this conflict to the end, but we'd appreciate if the world backed us up for once rather than lumping us with the same people that we have given everything to fight.

 

[rockstar08]

Punjab requires Zarb-e-Azb .. or else get ready for ISIS popping its head from there .

 

[BRAVO_]

they should hunt down those who harbor such people and facilitate them .. coz this one incident will not stop the flow.. u wanna kill the snake .. crush the head body will collapses automatically

 

[Icarus]

Punjab requires Zarb-e-Azb .. or else get ready for ISIS popping its head from there .

That's just a media sponsored fancy of ill-informed news anchors at best. There is no way that ISIS in any conceivable form could spontaneously emerge from Punjab. For starters, there is not an inch of land in Punjab not under the direct sovereign authority of the Government of Pakistan, a vacuum is the very first and most essential component in any insurgency that can accumulate enough power to actually expand, the TTP had it in FATA but I reiterate once again that the physical space for an ISIS threat emerging from Punjab simply does not exist.
Are there militancy problems in Punjab much like other provinces? You bet. Can we do more to address them? Absolutely. However, I urge you not to buy into the hype being peddled by the media houses, they need to sell a story and they will cash on the fears of the local populace to do so.