Lahore: Security forces on Saturday killed five alleged terrorists of the Pakistani Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in Punjab province.
Counter-terrorism officials along with Punjab Police conducted the operation after receiving information that eight members of the banned LeJ and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan including Awais Asif, district head of LeJ, were hiding in Nankana Sahib district, 80 kilometres from Lahore.
Police said the terrorists were planning to attack security personnel to avenge the killing of their accomplices including LeJ chief Malik Ishaq.
Ishaq was killed along with his two sons and 11 other key accomplices in July in a shootout with police.
The LeJ struck back and killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada in a suicide attack at his residence in Attock district in August.
In the early hours of Saturday, a team of counter-terrorism officials and police surrounded a house in a village in Nankana Sahib where the alleged terrorists were hiding.
The police asked them to surrender but they opened fire. Police said they returned fire, killing five suspects including Asif while a few others managed to escape.
Explosives, Kalashnikov rifles and some documents were seized from the house.
