A Chechen national, who was believed to have links to al-Qaeda, was killed and 11 policemen were wounded in an operation against a gang of Chechen militants in Killi Paind Khan, in the outskirts of the provincial capital, on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, a Chechen suspect told investigators that there were about 800 to 900 foreign nationals who had taken shelter in Wana.
Police officials said they had "successfully" completed the operation against the Chechen militants, which was launched late on tuesday night and continued till 7am on Wednesday. Police recovered a weapon and explosive devices from the hide-out of the militants.
| Still waiting for them to come up with 900 dead Chechens, though. Hopefully, that's part of their definition of "success." |
The officials said police and other law-enforcement agencies raided a house in Killi Paind Khan on the information gleaned from Abdul Ghaffar, another Chechen national arrested after a failed dacoity attempt on Monday last at Shara-e-Iqbal, Quetta.
"Yer money or yer life!"
"Break his elbow, Big Mahmoud."
"Owwwww!" |
During the raid on Wednesday, the militants had not only opened fire on police teams with an automatic weapon but also hurled two hand grenades, injuring 11 policemen. As the police retaliated, [a bad guy] identified as Habibur Rehman, sustained multiple bullets wounds to his neck and shoulder and died on the spot.
| "Ooooh! Habibur! That hadda hurt! Briefly." |
During the operation, the law-enforcement agencies evacuated the houses in the neighbourhood of the hide-out to ensure safety of the residents. Inspector-General Police, Balochistan, Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, flanked by Nazim City government Muhammad Rahim Kakar, said it had also been learnt during investigations that funds for the militants came from a foreign country.
Yaqoob said Abdul Ghaffar had disclosed to investigators that a few years ago, he had come to Afghanistan from Chechnya, where he stayed for some time in Kabul and Kandahar and from there he proceeded to Wana area of South Waziristan. "There are about 800 to 900 foreign nationals who have taken shelter in Wana and they are regularly paid," Abdul Ghaffar told the investigators.
| But they're not dead, right? So maybe the operation's not done yet? |
Abdul Ghaffar disclosed during investigation that two of his accomplices had come to Quetta on Saturday via Bannu in a passenger coach on a "special task", while he and another militants rushed to Quetta on Monday, said Yaqoob. When the militants tried to rob a money changer's shop at Share-e Iqbal, Abdul Ghaffar was arrested and he disclosed the whereabouts of his other accomplices. The police recovered a TT pistol, two magazines, two self-activated bombs, weighing about 2.5 kgs with a time device, one hand grenade, one mobile phone set, and cash. Further investigations are under way, the IG police said.
| Abdul Ghaffar's not real good at being a terrorist, is he? |
Replying to a question about the other accomplices, Yaqoob said police and other law-enforcement agencies were making all possible efforts to trace Abdul Ghaffar's accomplices. The provincial police chief said police were hunting two Chechen accomplices who had left the house before the raid. All four were al-Qaeda-linked militants who had fled the tribal region of South Waziristan, 400 kilometres north-east of Quetta.
| What about the other 896? |
The Chechens' presence in Quetta is seen as a sign that foreign militants were moving out of Waziristan because of pressure from an ongoing military operation in the region. |