PESHAWAR: A counterterrorism operation in Nowshera linked to the investigation of the recent Islamabad suicide bombing turned deadly on Saturday, leaving two personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) martyred and three others injured, as authorities made major progress in tracing the network behind the attack.
According to police, police and security forces conducted a joint raid in Dheri Katti Khel, Hakeemabad, within the jurisdiction of Cantt Police Station, Nowshera, after intelligence linked the area to the Islamabad suicide blast.
During the operation, terrorists opened fire on the raiding team, resulting in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ijaz Khan and a security official were martyred on the spot, while three personnel, including an ASI Khan Sher, Constable Hazrat Ali and a security personnal sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital.
Police confirmed that one terrorist was killed in the encounter, and a search operation was ongoing in the area till filing of this news.
Meanwhile, investigators achieved a significant breakthrough in the Islamabad case after recovering the identity card of the suicide bomber from the crime scene, leading to the identification of the attacker as Yasir, a resident of Peshawar.
Following this development, law enforcement agencies arrested two brothers of the attacker identified as Bilal and Nasir and a woman relative, while his brother-in-law, Usman, was also taken into custody.