LAKKI MARWAT: A terrorist was killed in exchange of fire with police during an operation in Wanki Sirajkhel area of Takht-i-Nusrati tehsil in Karak district on Saturday.

A police official said that the gunfight took place when a police party raided a hideout of terrorists in the area. `Noticing presence of policemen around their hideout, terrorists attacked the police party, triggering an exchange of fire,` he claimed.

He said that the law enforcers returned fire and the shootout continued for some time, resulting in killing of a terrorist.

The official said that police also seized an assault rifle, two hand grenades and ammunition from the hideout and shifted the body to a nearby hospital.

`The killed terrorist was affiliated with a banned outfit and his identification process is under way,` he added.

He said that a clearance operation was launched to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area.

Meanwhile, police and security forces backed by local peace committee members seized explosives from the hideouts of terrorists in the forested area of Lakki Marwat district on Saturday.

A police official said that the operation was launched following reports about the presence of terrorists in the dense forest along the Kurrum River.

`A large contingent of security personnel surrounded the forest near Aatashi Michenkhel, Ghati Michenkhel, Sarkati Michenkhel and Painda Michenkhel and used drones and other modern technology to locate terrorists and their safe havens, he maintained.

The official said that the commandos of the police`s C o u n t e r-T e r r o r i s m Department and members of the local peace committee also assisted police and security forces in action against terrorists.

`During the operation, the law enforcers recovered explosives, cord and other material used in making of improvised explosive devices and destroyed the hideouts,` he claimed.

The forest locally called Darga is used by terrorists as a sanctuary to plan and execute subversive acts in parts of the district. They disappear and hide in the jungle after attacking law enforcers and targeting them with roadside IEDs.

Correspondent