PESHAWAR: Police backed by the army launched an operation early Sunday against terrorists who had fled after the attack on the Bacha Khan airport and taken refuge in an under construction building located in the Pawakai area of the city.
Three terrorists were killed while two others died after detonating their suicide vests during the operation conducted by the army and police.
A policeman was also killed and two others wounded during the fierce gun battle which lasted for several hours between security forces and the terrorists.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement that the compound where the terrorists took refuge was cleared during the operation and all five terrorists were foreign nationals. While speaking to Geo News, DG ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa said the terrorists appeared to be Uzbek nationals.
CCPO Peshawar Imtiaz Altaf told media that three suicide vests attached to the bodies of terrorists were defused while two suspects were also held during the operation.
The terrorists opened fire on police as they came out of their hideout and were killed in retaliatory fire. Police said two militants took shelter in an under construction house located near a mosque.
Heavy contingent of police and security forces cordoned off the area and roads leading to Pawakai were been blocked for the traffic.
Pawakai is located at a distance of one kilometer from the Peshawar Airport where the five terrorists and four civilians were killed last night.