MIR ALI: In a horrifying act of brutality, terrorists affiliated with Fitna-al-Khawarij set ablaze a vehicle carrying local residents in Mir Ali after the victims reportedly refused to pay extortion money, media reported.
According to local sources, Khawarij militants doused the vehicle with petrol and set it on fire to spread terror in the area. The brutal act left six innocent civilians burned alive inside the car.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a large-scale search operation to track down the Fitna-al-Khawarij elements involved in the attack. Officials said intelligence-based operations were underway to eliminate the group’s presence in the region.
Residents of Mir Ali condemned the barbarity, urging the government to rid the area of the Fitna-al-Khawarij menace once and for all. “What kind of Islam or jihad justifies burning innocent people alive over personal grudges?” locals questioned, calling the act a crime against humanity.
Earlier, security sources reported growing internal divisions within Fitna-al-Khawarij, following heavy setbacks in recent months. Several major formations of the group were eliminated during border crossings in the past three months, leaving the leadership unsettled and increasingly fractured.
According to security sources, Fitna-al-Khawarij commander Noor Wali has instructed foot soldiers to refrain from using mobile phones to avoid detection. The leadership has also directed militants to hide among civilians and use the local population as shields during operations.
Reports further reveal that mosques and guest houses have been exploited for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and for sheltering fighters. Social media manipulation, an old propaganda tool of Khawarij, has also been renewed under fresh directives.
Security sources added that the group’s leadership has ordered the involvement of illegal Afghan nationals in attacks across Pakistan. Recent incidents in Dir and South Waziristan included a significant number of fighters crossing over from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s security forces remain fully prepared and committed to eliminating Fitna-al-Khawarij and their facilitators from the country, sources affirmed. –Agencies
