Pakistan military kill planner of Peshawar school attack after shootout

The alleged planner of the Peshawar school massacre has been killed in a shootout, a Pakistani official said on Friday. The commander was killed on Thursday night in the hour-long gunfight with security forces in the restive Khyber tribal area, which borders the northwestern city of Peshawar. The militant was known only as Saddam. His six accomplices were injured and arrested in the shootout, said Shahab Ali Shah, head of the local police administration. Authorities are currently interrogating the six, he added.

Commander Saddam was a dreaded terrorist, who was killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Jamrud town of Khyber tribal region.

Shahab Ali Shah - a local spokesman

Taliban militants broke into a military-run school in Peshawar, and killed 149 people, including 132 children. The horrific attack shocked the nation and led Pakistan to crack down on militants. According to authorities, Saddam helped plan the Peshawar school attack and was also involved in attacks on health workers giving polio vaccinations in the Peshawar valley. Meanwhile, drone attacks in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region killed at least seven alleged militants on Friday.

Asia-Pacific