MARDAN: Four persons, including three government employees killed and another injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire in the hilly area of Tehsil Katlang Babuzai on Saturday.
According to hospital sources, three of the victims were government officials, while the fourth was a resident. The bodies of the deceased have been transported to a nearby hospital for post-mortem examination. Following the attack, police and security forces swiftly sealed off the area to prevent any further violence and to begin a thorough investigation.
The victims identified a local, Hammad Ghafoor son of Raham Ghafoor, resident of Babuzai Katlang, while three officers of the intelligence agency, Zubair Afridi son of Fazal Akbar, resident of Bara, Shafiq Ahmed son of Zar Muhammad, resident of Haripur, and Shahabuddin son of Muhammaduddin, resident of Dir.
Authorities have launched an operation to track down the assailants, whose motives remain unclear. Investigations are ongoing as officials work to uncover the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
Katlang, a town in the Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has faced intermittent security challenges over the past decade due to militant activity. The region’s hilly terrain and proximity to tribal areas have sometimes made it vulnerable to attacks by various extremist groups.
In the early 2010s, Katlang and its surroundings experienced targeted attacks on security forces and government officials, as militant groups sought to destabilise the area. These groups often used the difficult terrain for hiding and launching sudden attacks before disappearing.
Despite several military operations aimed at clearing militants from the region, sporadic incidents of violence and targeted killings have continued to affect the local population. Security forces have increased their presence and surveillance in Katlang to curb militant movements and protect civilians.
The recent attack in the hills of Katlang Babuzai is part of this broader pattern of insecurity, highlighting ongoing challenges in fully eradicating extremist threats from the area.
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