Pakistan: Eight security personnel killed in two separate incidents

The first incident occurred in the Kurrum Par area of Lakki Marwat in the morning when militants opened fire on a police van, killing six personnel, including an assi­stant sub-inspector (ASI).

The attack was later claimed by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a statement, reports Dawn News.

An official told the Pakistani newspaper that a team of the Abbas police checkpost was on its way to the Wanda Shahabkhel area to perform security duty at a weekly cattle market when militants opened fire on their van with sophisticated weapons from multiple sides, killing six law enforcers on the spot.

He said the area where the attack took place was surrounded by mountains and bordered Karak district.

“The martyred policemen included ASI Ilm Din, lower head constable Parvez Khan and constables Ali Usman, Dil Jan, Ahmad Nawaz and Mehmood,” the official said, adding the police van was also damaged in the attack. The assailants later fled with the weapons and bullet-proof jackets of the martyred policemen.

After hearing the gunshots, villagers rushed to the crime scene and could be seen covering the bodies with pieces of cloth in video clips shared on social media.

The official said a large contingent of police, led by district police chief Ziauddin Ahmed, reached the spot and launched a search operation for the attackers.

“Police chased the attackers in the mountainous terrain and succeeded in seizing their motorcycles and also recovered the bullet-proof jackets they had made off with,” he claimed.

He further said the law enforcers found blood at the militants’ hideout, indicating some of the assailants might have been injured in retaliatory fire by the policemen.

The bodies were shifted to the police lines located in the district headquarters complex of Tajazai where their funeral prayers were offered.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Moazzam Jah Ansari told journalists that such attacks could not shatter the strong resolve of the police force to eliminate terrorism.

“In the recent months, the Lakki Marwat police have eliminated several terrorist groups, and today’s attack on policemen proves that [terrorists] are taking their last breaths,” he told the newspaper.