The main suspect fled the scene after the attack, but was later killed in a police encounter.
Crime scene tape. PHOTO: REUTERS
Six people were killed and two others injured in a shootout in Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while the main suspect was later killed in a police encounter, officials said.
The incident occurred in Mangal village, where gunmen opened fire, leaving six people dead. The injured were rushed to the central tehsil hospital in Paroa for treatment. According to SHO Samar Abbas, the confrontation was related to a dispute over the theft and recovery of three motorcycles, allegedly stolen at gunpoint on Monday night.
Police said members of the Istrana tribe had gone to a Marwat well in Mangal village to recover stolen motorcycles, and an exchange of words with rivals led to gunfights. Among those killed was Altaf Khan Istrana, brother of local Pakistan People’s Party activist Sharbat Khan Istrana.
Also read: DI Khan records 111 terrorist attacks in five years and 71 police officers martyred
The main suspect, Zulfiqar Marwat, fled the scene after the attack but was later killed in a police encounter. According to a police spokesperson, a team led by Superintendent of Police Murtaza Khan surrounded the suspect after receiving a tip-off.
After an exchange of gunfire, Marwat was found dead at the scene, along with a Kalashnikov rifle. Authorities said a search operation has been launched in the area and efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining suspects.
In February, at least two officials were martyred and three others injured after terrorists attacked a police station and a nearby customs camp in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district at 1:30 am on Tuesday, police said.
According to a police spokesperson on Wednesday, an unknown number of unidentified gunmen suddenly opened fire on the Yark police station, leading to the martyrdom of Constable Bilal on the spot.
Read more: Attack on DI Khan police station and customs camp leaves two martyred and three injured
Two other officers, Constables Umar Ali and Khayal Muhammad, were injured and were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In another incident, five police officers including Station House Officer Fahim Mumtaz Khan Marwat were martyred while a Deputy Superintendent of Police and his driver were seriously injured during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Wanda Budh area of Paharpur tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan.
The incident occurred when a police group, acting on intelligence about the presence of militants, came under heavy fire from terrorists who were in ambush. The police retaliated, leading to a prolonged shootout that left officers Tauqeer, Irfan, Ghulam Subhani and Wajahat among the fallen.
DSP Hafiz Muhammad Adnan Khan and his driver sustained critical injuries and were rushed to hospital, while security was intensified and a search operation was launched to locate the attackers.
