LAHORE: Rehan Butt and Fayyaz Butt, who were allegedly involved in attacks on police in Lahore earlier this week, were killed in an alleged police encounter, according to police and investigation reports.
The two militants were named in connection with the firing in Lahore in which police officers were targeted outside the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) centre, leaving three policemen injured. Police say the attackers fled the scene after opening fire, while CCTV footage of the incident—showing multiple accused firing—has also come to light. The accused linked to that episode had managed to escape initially, prompting a large-scale search and pursuit.
Officials said the earlier Lahore casualties brought the total toll from the ongoing incidents to two policemen killed and three injured in the city.
Police also traced the violence back to a prior attack in Badami Bagh, where two policemen were martyred. In that incident, the accused were identified as Rehan Butt. After that attack, authorities said Rehan’s father-son links were further connected to another operation in Nawan Kot, where an officer identified as Haris was martyred and three officials were injured. The injured officials were shifted to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, police said that after the firing episodes, the suspected father-son militants reportedly fled in a government vehicle, triggering a coordinated pursuit. Teams including CCD Model Town Police, Lahore Police, Sheikhupura Police and other units chased the vehicle, after which the suspects allegedly abandoned it and entered a house near Sheikhupura Ravi Rayan, where they took members of the family hostage at gunpoint.
A police operation was then launched to arrest the militants. During the ensuing two-way firefight, Rehan Butt and Fayyaz Butt were killed. Police said the attackers’ opening of indiscriminate fire was aimed at preventing arrest, and the operation left multiple police officers dead and injured.
