5 cops martyred, 8 injured in attacks on multiple police checkpoints in KP
Staff Report
PESHAWAR: At least five cops were martyred and another eight left injured as militants attacked police checkpoints at different locations late at night in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, police said on Thursday.
Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks on police forces. The country has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
In KP’s Upper Dir, three cops were martyred after their mobile was attacked by terrorists, while another six were injured in the same attack, the police said in a statement.
Police have launched a search operation to find the perpetrators, and the injured were rushed to the nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, in Lower Dir, “two separate terrorist attacks on police checkpoints in the areas of Maidan, Lajbok and Shadas claimed the life of police constable Sanaullah, while Sultan Zareen was injured,” District Police Officer Abdul Salam Khalid said in a statement.
In Peshawar, two separate police checkpoints in the areas of Matni and Nasir Bagh and a police station in Hassan Khel came under fire, leaving one police personnel dead and another injured.
The deceased has been identified as Constable Jahangir Khan, who lost his life in the attack on Hassan Khel police station.
According to a press release issued by the KP police, “the attacks on Matni and Nasir Bagh checkpoints were successfully thwarted”.
“Police and law enforcement agencies retaliated against the attacks,” the statement read, adding that the terrorists retreated after the exchange of fire.
“Elements of Fitna-ul-Khawarij also fired on a police party near Nasir Bagh, which was foiled with timely action,” the statement added, using the state-designated term for TTP.
In Bannu, terrorists attacked two police checkpoints in the area of Miryan and Mazanga by firing an RPG-7 rocket launcher.
The attack was foiled as the police personnel retaliated immediately, the statement said, adding that no personnel were injured.
According to the press release, “terrorist attacks on police posts in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bravely foiled.”
“The terrorists failed in their attacks thanks to the timely action of law enforcement agencies,” the statement highlighted.
Separately, in Shangla district, a police post came under attack; however, the attack was foiled as the police responded immediately, prompting the terrorists to flee.
Funeral prayers were offered for Constable Jahangir, who lost his life in an attack on Hassan Khel police station at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Line in Peshawar on Thursday.
