Cops targeted killings: Main suspect Feezam among four terrorists killed in ‘encounter’

LAHORE: Four terrorists, including the main suspect Feezan Butt, involved in recent spate of attacks on police personnel in the provincial metropolis, have been eliminated in an alleged encounter in Karol jungle in the limits of Gujjarpura police.

Feezan Butt was arrested from Badami Bagh police area on May 7, 2024, following an intensive operation, conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Hailing from Badami Bagh Lahore, Feezan emerged as the prime suspect in a series of targeted attacks on unarmed police officers. His modus operandi involved traveling on city roads on a motorcycle, relentlessly pursuing his prey for several kilometres before hitting him.

The ruthlessness of his attacks left two policemen dead, sending shockwaves among the law enforcement community. On April 26, a police constable in Lahore sustained injuries when unidentified militants attacked him.

Subsequently, on April 28, another policeman was martyred in the limits of Misri Shah police. On May 2, a policeman was killed in the Walled City of Lahore, near the Tibbi police station.

The CTD had linked Feezan to a proscribed organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), shedding light on the possible motives behind his violent actions. The revelation of his alleged ties to the notorious militant group had raised concerns about the presence of extremist elements operating within the city, posing a grave threat to public safety and security.

After his arrest, the CTD seized a trove of incriminating evidence from Feezan including the motorcycle believed to have been used in the targeted killings.

The recovered items served as crucial pieces of evidence in piecing together the puzzle of Feezan’s activities and his alleged involvement in murder of police officers. Feezan Butt was not acting alone in his reign of terror.

The CTD sources had implicated some others in the string of targeted killings, suggesting the existence of a broader network of violence orchestrated by the accused and his associates.

In the wee hours of Sunday, a CTD team took the arrested terrorist Feezan to Karol jungle where he had dumped a pistol and two hand-grenades.

As they closed in on the designated location, chaos erupted. Suddenly, from the shadows emerged a group of five to six militants, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.

In a flurry of gunfire, the situation escalated into a fierce gunfight, echoing through the silent night. Three of the terrorists, including Feezan, fell victim to the hail of bullets, their own comrades inadvertently sealing their fate.

However, the remaining three managed to evade capture, disappearing into the darkness without a trace.

The CTD team recovered two Kalashnikovs and a pistol from the spot. The fingerprints of the fallen terrorists were swiftly dispatched to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in hopes of revealing their identities and affiliations. But even as the dust settled, the mission was far from over. With three terrorists still at large, the hunt had intensified as the CTD launched a massive search operation, combing every inch of the area for arrest of the fleeing terrorists. The bodies of four terrorists were shifted to the morgue for autopsy.