By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
DISTRICT KHYBER: Three cops were martyred while three others wounded when a group of militants backed by a suicide bomber entered the Takhta Beg police checkpost on the main Pak-Afghan highway in Jamrud tehsil in district Khyber in Pakistan,
SHO Shah Khakid Afridi told reporters that terrorists opened fire on the check-post in Tekhta Beg and used explosive material in the attack, after which the police station caught fire. He said the exchange of fire between the police force and terrorists continued for an hour. Immediately after the attack, the traffic on the Pak-Afghan highway closed and a heavy contingent of police was dispatched to the check-post.
Jamrud SHO Shah Khalid termed the attack on the police check-post a suicide attack. “The suicide bomber entered the check-post and blew himself up.” He added that the police opened fire on the target upon seeing the suicide bomber. Two policemen — Manzoor Shah and Younis Khan — were martyred in the attack, while a cook in the check-post, identified as Rafiq, was shifted to the Peshawar hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Taking notice of the attack, KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan’s has asked the IG Police for a report on the incident. “The incident is very sad, the sacrifices of the martyrs will not go in vain,” the CM said.
The development comes as Pakistan tackles rising terror attacks — especially by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and from across the Afghan border. According to reports, the TTP regrouped in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover, with Pakistan repeatedly asking the interim government in the neighbouring country to ensure that its soil isn’t used for terrorism. But the Taliban-led government has not been able to live up to the expectations.
The activities of militants have been mainly focused in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the former accounting for 31% of the attacks during the last year and the latter 67%, according to statistics provided by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. Just last week, three police personnel, including an officer, also embraced martyrdom during an exchange of gunfire with terrorists who launched an overnight assault at a police station in Peshawar.
The terrorists attacked the Sarband Police Station located in the city’s suburban area with hand grenades in the dark of night, leaving Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Badaber Sardar Hussain and his two guards martyred. As the country continues to face cross-border terrorism, Pakistan earlier in the day called upon the Iranian authorities to investigate the cross-border terror attack in the Panjgur district of Balochistan and bring the perpetrators to task.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, four security personnel were martyred in a terrorist attack carried out from “Iranian soil” on Wednesday. As the country continues to face cross-border terrorism, Pakistan earlier in the day called upon the Iranian authorities to investigate the cross-border terror attack in the Panjgur District of Balochistan and bring the perpetrators to task. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, four security personnel were martyred in a terrorist attack carried out from “Iranian soil” on Wednesday.
