Police kill suspects planning Pakistan terror attacks

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Eight suspected militants were killed in northeast Pakistan on Thursday in the latest operation against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, police said.

Up to 33 suspected Taliban members have now been killed in the last two weeks across the country.

Counter-terrorism police said the suspects were killed in an encounter in Narang, around 42 kilometers (26 miles) northeast of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

After being called on to surrender, the suspects opened fire, wounding two police officers, the police said in a statement.

“When the firing stopped, eight terrorists were found dead, killed by the firing of their own accomplices,” the statement added. Three or four militants escaped in the darkness.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is a conglomerate of different militant groups operating in Pakistan. Police said the Narang group had been planning terrorist attacks in Lahore.

Security forces have launched a fresh counter-terrorism campaign since a spate of terror attacks killed more than 130 people since February.