Four women aid workers among five people were gunned down while ten others were abducted in two separate incidents in Mir Ali district of North Waziristan on Monday.
In the first incident, four women aid workers were ambushed by two gunmen as they were driving through a village in North Waziristan district, according to local police chief Shafiullah Gandapur, who said just one passenger survived the assault. “No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far but it was surely an act of terrorism,” he said.
Gandapur said that the aid workers were affiliated with a programme run by Sabawon Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to develop household skills for women. The driver was injured in the attack.
The incident occurred around 9:30 am when the women were coming from Bannu and adjoining areas to teach sewing and embroidery to women of a local village when armed masked men on a motorcycle opened fire on the NGO’s vehicle killing the workers on spot. The driver was rushed to Mir Ali Hospital where his condition was said to be out of danger.
The deceased women had been identified as Ayesha Bibi, Jawariya Bibi, Naheed Bibi and Irshad Bibi. All hailed from Bannu including the driver.
One of the women, Maryam Bibi, was lucky as she jumped out of the car before the incident occurred.
SP Aqiq Hussain said that the police are conducting raids to nab the suspects.
Responding to a question, he said that the NGO did not have a police NOC and was operating in the area without it.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, according to a report received from the Shivah area of Mir Ali, unidentified armed men had set up a roadblock at the Tandy area the previous night. They opened fire on a vehicle that did not stop, resultantly the driver of the vehicle, Wali Gul, a resident of Shivah, was killed on the spot, after which, according to initial reports, ten people were abducted, including four locals.
According to reports, the identified abductees include local lawyer Atiqullah, his cousin Humayun Khan, a worker in local government, Shahenshah, a local health worker and Masoodur Rehman whereas non-locals including Yawar Abbas, engineer Hamza had been identified.
Official sources had also confirmed the incident and Investigating Officer Aqiq Hussain said that a joint search operation by the FC, Pakistan Army and police was underway where the entire area has been cordoned off.
The region was once home to a wide array of jihadist groups and was a focal point in the global war on terror. Attacks have decreased in recent years following a series of military offensives against homegrown and foreign militants.
Earlier on Saturday, the security forces killed two terrorists, including a commander, during an overnight intelligence-based operation (IBO) on a terrorist hideout in North Waziristan district, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The ISPR said that Havaldar Shehzad Raza embraced martyrdom during the exchange of fire with the terrorists. The military’s media wing said that terrorist commander Rehmat alias Khalid was an improvised explosive device (IED) expert and remained involved in different terrorist activities against security forces, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and target killing since 2009 in Malik Khel area.
Earlier on Wednesday last, the security forces killed three terrorists during an overnight intelligence-based operation (IBO) in tribal district North Waziristan district, said the ISPR.
Earlier on February 4, security forces killed four terrorists during an operation in North Waziristan. The ISPR said that 42-year-old resident of Chitral Naib Subedar Aminullah and a 24-year-old resident of Landi Kotal Sepoy Sher Zamin embraced martyrdom while four other soldiers sustained injuries during the operation.
