4 terrorists killed in encounter in Pakistan

Pakistani counter-terrorism officers on Saturday killed four insurgents, including two women and a local ISIS commander, in an encounter in Punjab province.

The terrorists were killed when the police officials opened fire on a vehicle in the Sahiwal district.

"A counter-terrorism department (CTD) team tried to intercept a car and a motorcycle carrying the terrorists near the Sahiwal toll plaza, however, they started firing at them and a shootout ensued," the CTD spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Geo news.

"Four people, including two women and a local ISIS commander have been killed and one child has been injured in the cross-fire," the spokesperson said.

The suspects were kidnappers and three children were recovered from them, police said.

The CTD said that the deceased were high-level targets who were also involved in the kidnapping of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son, the report said.

"Both the terrorists were travelling with their families to avoid police checking, the official said.

Today's encounter was in continuation of an operation conducted in Faisalabad in the Punjab province on January 16.

An official of the provincial CTD claimed that the law enforcers were tracking the terrorists on the basis of intelligence reports and had information that they were travelling towards Sahiwal.

Three terrorists, however, escaped from the scene of the incident and were being pursued by the police.

Following the incident, Punjab Police spokesperson Nabila Ghazanfar said, "If those killed were innocent citizens, then action will be taken against those who fired at them."