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Pakistani Taliban commander, police officer die in clashes

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, July 4, IRNA -- A senior Pakistani Taliban commander, Roohul Ameen, was killed in a clash with security men in northwest of the country on Thursday, security sources said.

Another militant and a police officer were also killed in clashes in the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A policeman was also injured.

The police on a tip off about the presence of the militants in a house in Mattani area raided the house to arrest the militants. However, the militants refused to surrender and started firing at the raiding party.

Members of the anti-Taliban volunteers also backed the security forces in the operation, locals said.

Commander Roohul Ameen, the Taliban chief in the area, was behind attacks on the security forces and members of the peace committee in the area. He was wanted to the authorities for attacks on the security forces.

Police sources said that three militants were also arrested. The security forces dynamited the house after the operation.

The security forces and volunteers expanded their operation to other areas and surrounded other hideouts of the Taliban militants, sources said. They said that another Taliban commander Changeez Khan has also taken shelter in a house is also and the operation has been started against him.

The forces launched the operation a day after a group of heavily armed militants attacked a check post and killed six security personnel. Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban have increased attacks on the security forces since the new has assumed office last month.

The Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, says that the outlawed group has stepped up attacks to take revenge of the death of deputy chief, Wali-ur-Rahman Mehsud in a US drone strike.

Mehsud was killed in the American attack on May 29 in North Waziristan. The TTP alleges that the Pakistani authorities share information with the US for drone attacks on the militants. The gov’t denies the charges.

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