KOHAT:
Five police officials, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred when terrorists attacked a police van in Shakardara area on the outskirts of Kohat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, police said.
According to details, the attack took place when a police team led by DSP Lachi Asad Mahmood Khan was transporting the detainees for investigation. The terrorists opened sudden and indiscriminate fire on the vehicle.
Among the martyrs were DSP Asad Mahmood Khan, Inspector Anar Gul Khan, DSP Driver, DSP Reader Wahab Gul, Constable Mudassar and Police Officer Syed Amir Abbas, son of Syed Murtaza.
Two detainees, Yousaf Khan, son of Yaqoob Gul, and Samiullah, son of Muhammad Anwar, also lost their lives in the incident.
Three police officers, including Zahoor Khan, Aqab Hussain and Mohib Rehman, sustained serious injuries in the shooting and were immediately rushed to hospital.
A large contingent of Kohat police was sent to the spot after the attack.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has taken cognizance of the death of a DSP and his accompanying staff in firing by terrorists in Kohat and strongly condemned the incident.
The prime minister sought a report from the inspector general of police on the incident. “The incident is extremely tragic. The sacrifices of the martyrs will not be in vain,” Afridi said.
He said the KP police were the first line of defense against terrorism and their sacrifices were unforgettable. “The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot shake the resolve of the police,” he said.
Afridi said the provincial government fully sympathizes with the families of the martyrs and equally shares their pain.
The Prime Minister prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs and for patience and strength for the bereaved families.
He also directed the authorities to ensure provision of best possible medical facilities to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery.
Read: Terrorists attack ambulances transporting the injured from FC to the hospital
Earlier on Monday, three Federal Police (FC) personnel were martyred and several others injured in a series of terror attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, when a drone attack targeted an FC fort and a subsequent assault set fire to ambulances carrying the injured.
According to police, terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), described by officials as Fitna al-Khawarij, launched a drone attack on an FC fort near Dargah Shaheedan in Bahadar Khel area.
As a result of the assault, which took place within the jurisdiction of Khurram Muhammad Zai Police Station, five personnel (Havaldar Sabir, Sepoy Ameen, Sepoy Zohaib, Sepoy Murad and Sepoy Yousaf) were injured.
Karak district police officer Saud Khan said contingents of security forces and other law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene immediately after the attack, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
“The injured were being taken to the hospital when the terrorists launched a second attack on the ambulances on the road,” the DPO said, adding that the attackers set fire to the vehicles with the injured inside.
Three FC personnel were killed in the assault, while five people, including a Rescue 1122 official, suffered injuries. The injured rescue personnel were shifted to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu for treatment.
