-Four servicemen martyred, 4 injured in Lakki Marwat Police Station terror attack
-Terrorists flee after launching assault, Police launch search operation in area
-President, PM strongly condemns attack, condole with deceased families
DM MONITORING
PESHAWAR: Militants seized a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Bannu district on Sunday and took hostages to negotiate with government authorities, officials said.
Special assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said no one had attacked the police station, rather, some suspects in custody under suspicion of terrorism tried to snatch weapons from security personnel deployed on site.
“The situation is under complete control. Security forces have cordoned off the area,” he said, adding that an operation was underway and would be completed in a while.
The development comes hours later after militants attacked the Burgi police station in Lakki Marwat early on Sunday morning, leaving four policemen dead and injuring as many.
Terrorists launched an armed assault on the police station from two sides. A fierce exchange of fire took place between the police and the outlaws that left four policemen dead and as many injured.
The attackers escaped after the assault while Police on Sunday have launched a search operation in the area for the saboteurs. Constables Ibrahim, Imran, Khairur Rahman and Sabz Ali are among the deceased.
The president and prime minister expressed their condolences with the bereaved families and prayed for the high ranks of the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured.
President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and condoled with the families of the martyrs. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured cops and pledged to continue efforts to completely eliminate the “remnants of terrorism”.
The Prime Minister said the entire nation saluted the huge sacrifices of police officers and jawans in their fight against terrorism.
Paying tribute to the supreme sacrifices of the police personnel, he said terrorists were the open enemies of Pakistan and the nation. “Those who have been shielding the nation against terrorists are our heroes,” PM Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying.
The prime minister further said the elimination of terrorists, their supporters and facilitators had been the national priority. He also urged the KP provincial government to provide Shuhada package to the families of martyred police personnel.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan also condemned the attack and sought report on the matter. He also ordered best medical aid for the injured cops. “The incident is extremely unfortunate. The sacrifices of the martyred will not go in vain,” he vowed.
The law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has gone south over the last few weeks as an increase has been noticed in threats and attacks on security forces as well as high-profile political personalities.
Provincial spokesperson of the Awami National Party (ANP) Samar Bilour has also shared that their provincial president Aimal Wali Khan had received a call about a plan of attack on his life.
Samar said that their leadership’s protection is the state’s responsibility, adding that they will be left with no other option but to take the protection of their leaders into their own hands if the state does not act.
“Apart from Aimal Wali Khan, Sardar Hussain Babak and others have received threats as well while the house of MPA Faisal Zeb was attacked twice in the last few weeks,” Samar Haroon Bilour had said last week.
Apart from the attack on the house of ANP MPA Faisal Zeb in Shangla, a grenade was hurled at the house of party Senator Hidayatullah in Peshawar in recent months.
The wave of terrorist attacks has risen across the province in the last few months, the report said. At least 118 terrorist incidents were reported in KP from mid-August till the last week of November, according to official numbers.
At least 26 policemen, 12 personnel of other law enforcement agencies and 17 civilians were killed in terror incidents across the KP. Moreover, 18 policemen, 10 civilians, and 37 law enforcement agencies personnel suffered injuries in these attacks.
A dozen districts, including Peshawar, Mardan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Kohat, Bannu, and Nowshera came under attack in November.
Meanwhile, KP Police claims that they have accelerated operations against the terrorists saying at least 539 alleged terrorists and proclaimed offenders were arrested in the province during the first 10 months of 2022. They added 141 were also killed including 42 of those who carried head money.
The CTD in the last two days claimed to have killed eight terrorists associated with Daesh and other groups in North Waziristan and Nowshera.
