Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday stressed the need for being alert after ‘an act of terrorism’ last night when a policeman was shot dead by terrorists near the Karachi Company area of Islamabad.

“The gun attack on police in Islamabad the previous [Monday] night was not a robbery or dacoity gone wrong but an act of terrorism,” he told reporters after attending the funeral of Head Constable Munawar, who was martyred in the shootout at the Police Lines Headquarters in the federal capital.

Head Constable Munawar Khan was martyred last night after two terrorists on a motorcycle opened fire at the police officials, who were on duty spot check of vehicles at the Jillani Chowk near Karachi Company, the Islamabad Police said in a tweet. Policemen Roz Amin and Rashid had gotten injured in the attack.

Elaborating on the details of the incident, Rashid said: “He [Munawar] was on duty and terrorists shot a burst [of fire] on him. This was not an incident of theft or robbery.” He was of the view that the incident was a “kind of signal” that terrorist incidents have started happening in the federal capital.

“And, this [terrorist attack] is the first incident of the year and we need to be very alert,” Rashid said.

The interior minister paid tribute to the martyred policemen and civil armed forces for protecting the country against such attacks. He reiterated that it was a matter of terrorism, not any dacoit or robbery.

Rashid added that the government has traced both culprits, who were terrorists, and also traced their motorcycle. He added that both terrorists were killed in the incident.

Moreover, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the killing of a policeman in Islamabad. “On Yesterday [Monday] night, TTP members attacked [opened fire] policemen at Jillani Chowk near Karachi Company area in Islamabad. In this attack, one policeman died and other two got injured,” read a statement issued by TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani.

It added that two TTP members, identified as Zarrar and Umar Rehmanullah, also died in an “exchange of fire with police.”