Mastermind of terror attack on Shia Muslims among four killed in Hangu

With ties to Pakistani Taliban, four terrorists, including the mastermind of a deadly suicide attack of the last year in Orakzai, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Hangu today on Wednesday, police said.

With ties to Pakistani Taliban, four terrorists, including the mastermind of a deadly suicide attack of the last year in Orakzai, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Hangu today on Wednesday, police said.

Security forces had conducted a raid in Hangu after a tip-off was received that the house was serving as a militant hideout, a local police official, Muhammad Khalid, said.

Seeing the cops outside, the terrorists opened fire on security forces during the raid. Four terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter. A civilian was also accidentally killed in the shootout.

One of the militants killed was identified as Muhammad Islam. The security source said that Islam had ties to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

He was said to responsible for orchestrating the Nov 23 suicide attack near a Shia Imambargah in lower Orakzai’s Kalaya Bazaar that left at least 32 people dead and 31 injured.