Suspected militants and police exchanged fire near Nowshehra on Thursday, injuring a policeman and at least three civilians, police and witnesses said. Firing started after the militants took shelter inside a mosque at village Badrashi in the outskirts of Nowshehra.
Police said that a group of militants were coming from Peshawar and when police, on suspicion, signalled the car to stop, the armed militants started firing at police. The police returned fire and chased the car but the militants took shelter in a mosque at a small village, Badrashi.
Badrashi village is located in the neighbourhood of sensitive military area, locals said. The authorities sealed the area and also sought help of police from other areas to deal with the situation as the militants were refusing to surrender. A police officer, Yameen Khan told reporters that the security forces want to arrest the militants alive.
He said the police are also avoiding firing at the mosque and had made announcements to the militants to surrender. Police said the militants also threw hand grenade at the police party injuring a policeman and three civilians. The authorities also evacuated children from a nearby school, witnesses said.