TANK: Three policemen were martyred while another two were injured after the local police headquarters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district came under attack, police said on Friday.
According to the official, one of several militants first exploded himself at the main entrance of a police office and residence block and the others stormed in. “Our force on guard engaged them in a gun battle for hours,” DPO Shah said.
KP Inspector General Akhtar Hayat said three of the attackers were killed.
DPO Shah said he was present at the site of the incident and a search operation was under way to locate more militants. He further said that the terrorists fired shots and “used hand grenades”.
A little-known militant group that identified itself as Ansarul Islam claimed responsibility, saying it was their first attack, according to a statement sent to a Reuters reporter. The police didn’t verify the authenticity of the claim.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar strongly condemned the attack and paid tribute to the security forces for foiling “a big plan of terrorism”.
“The entire nation pays tribute to the valiant security personnel who sacrificed their lives for the homeland,” he said in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
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The premier also vowed to continue the fight against terrorism till its complete elimination from the country, adding that the nation stood with its security forces in the war against terror.
Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief over the incident and strongly condemned it.
Stating that the police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army were putting their lives at risk, he added that the nation would always be indebted to them for their sacrifices.Meanwhile, PPP’s Sherry Rehman said the attacks on police lines and checkpoints would not go unnoticed. “Neither our religion nor Constitution has any tolerance for terrorism,” she wrote on X.
