SWAT: Four militants were killed and several others injured during an ongoing joint operation by police and the Counter-Terrorism Department in Swat’s Matta area, security sources said on Wednesday.
The operation was launched following intelligence about the presence of armed militants in the mountainous area. Security personnel subsequently secured a strategically important position in Rashid Sar, strengthening their control over the operation zone.
Elite Force Constable Gulfam Khan was martyred while confronting the militants during an exchange of fire. Police officials said the constable fought bravely as security personnel moved to contain the armed group. His funeral prayers were later offered at Police Lines Swat, where a police contingent presented a guard of honour.
According to security sources, some of the militants had taken refuge inside a residential property and were allegedly using members of the household as human shields, complicating the operation and requiring law-enforcement personnel to proceed cautiously.
The operation remained underway as police and CTD teams continued efforts to clear the area and neutralise any remaining threat. Officials said several militants were also believed to have been injured during the fighting.
Police said the wider counter-terrorism action was being conducted under the supervision of senior officers from the Malakand region, with personnel from the CTD, Swat Police and Upper Swat Police participating in the operation.
Authorities reiterated that counter-terrorism operations would continue until peace was fully restored and militant networks operating in the region were dismantled.
The latest operation comes amid heightened security efforts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where law-enforcement agencies have intensified intelligence-based actions against militant groups.
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