Eight Out of 17 Abducted Mining Workers Recovered in Lakki Marwat: Police

Eight Out of 17 Abducted Mining Workers Recovered in Lakki Marwat: Police

Authorities have freed eight out of the 17 individuals linked to a mining initiative who were taken hostage at gunpoint on Thursday morning in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as reported by officials.

District police spokesperson Shahid Marwat informed Dawn.com that “On Thursday at approximately 9 am, 17 workers, along with their driver, were en route in a minibus for a mining project when some armed individuals intercepted them and forcibly took them away on Dara Tang Road in Lakki Marwat.

“Eight of the abducted laborers have been freed, and three of them suffered minor injuries,” he stated. The official noted that a collaborative operation involving law enforcement and security personnel was ongoing in the district to rescue the remaining workers. A District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) official, who spoke to Dawn.com on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that three of the rescued hostages had sustained injuries and were currently receiving medical care.

Local and international news sources have reported that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility for the abductions. Following the incident, several videos surfaced on social media showing individuals, reportedly the kidnapped workers, pleading with the government to meet the militants’ demands for their release. However, Dawn.com was unable to verify the authenticity of these videos independently. Earlier that day, authorities, including police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), announced that they had killed three militants linked to the Teepu Gull group, which is affiliated with the TTP, during a joint operation in the Malang Adda area of the district.

Authorities reported that police had received intelligence regarding a dozen militants in the vicinity, leading to the planning of a targeted operation. “As the raid team positioned themselves, the militants began firing,” officials stated, noting that a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the raiding team and the militants. The deceased militants were identified as Shafeeq Nawaz, Muhammad Mujahid, also known as Jihadyar, and Fidaur Rehman, who was also referred to as Anas or Gul, according to officials. Lakki Marwat has been a key area for terrorism and violence dating back to the early 2000s. The region saw a short-lived calm following security operations, but militancy has resurged in recent years.

The violence has intensified since the TTP violated a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and pledged to assault police and security personnel. Earlier this week, two police officers lost their lives after unidentified assailants targeted them in the Jabukhel region of the district. Both officers were killed at the scene, and the attackers escaped on a motorcycle. In a counter-operation, law enforcement, along with local villagers, succeeded in killing one terrorist commander.