CBN247 Report:-
Mardan, March 29 – An intelligence-based operation was conducted on Friday night in the Babizai area of Katlang, Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting militant hideouts in the region’s mountainous terrain. The local people and relatives of the deceased protested and blocked swat express way in Katlang tehsil district Mardan.
9 bodies of the burnt people including two women and a small boy were shifted to katlang type D hospital, 1122 sources told.
According to official sources, the operation took place away from the local population, specifically in remote areas where Khawarij militants and their facilitators had established strongholds. Security forces eliminated a significant number of militants, who, according to intelligence reports, were planning a major attack during Eid.
Additionally, several local facilitators supporting these terrorists were also killed during the operation. The militants had set up hideouts in the mountainous region of Katlang, which were successfully targeted at three different locations.
Local residents claim civilian casualties including 9 people including aged and youth has been killed in the operation. Reports circulating on social media suggest that some civilians may have been killed in the operation. However, authorities have dismissed these claims as unverified, citing the remote nature of the operation site and the absence of non-militant residents in the targeted areas. Officials have emphasized that if any civilians were present, they may have been militant facilitators.
Swat Express Way Blocked
Following the operation, protests erupted in the Shamozo area of Katlang Tehsil, Mardan, where the families of the deceased and local residents blocked the Swat Expressway in response to the incident.
In an effort to defuse tensions, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Azmatullah Wazir and District Police Officer (DPO Zahoor Babar Afridi) arrived at the protest site to engage in negotiations with the demonstrators. Authorities have urged citizens to remain peaceful and advised travelers to use alternative routes until the situation is resolved.
Meanwhile, Mardan police remain on-site, ensuring law and order.
“Citizens are requested to cooperate with law enforcement and take alternative routes where necessary,” said DPO Zahoor Babar Afridi in a statement.
Official Statement from Barrister Dr. Saif
In an official response to the incident, Barrister Dr. Saif confirmed that security forces conducted the operation based on verified intelligence about terrorist presence in Katlang’s mountainous area. “The location was being used as a hideout and transit point by terrorist elements,” he stated.
Addressing reports of civilian casualties, Barrister Saif acknowledged: “Subsequent information indicates some unarmed civilians were present near the operation site. The loss of innocent lives, including women and children, is deeply regrettable and tragic.”
He clarified that while several wanted terrorists involved in regional militant activities were successfully neutralized, “such operations in complex terrain sometimes yield unintended consequences when militants embed themselves among civilian populations.”
The government expressed solidarity with affected families, with Barrister Saif stating: “We stand with the bereaved families in their grief and are ensuring immediate medical care for the injured along with compensation for those who lost their lives.” He emphasized that protecting civilians remains the top priority in all counter-terrorism operations.
