The security forces killed five terrorists including a suicide bomber who attempted to attack the Police Lines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, Inter-Services Public Relations said on Friday.

“Security forces in the vicinity were immediately mobilised to support the Police force and in the ensuing operation, all 5 x terrorists were sent to hell. However, during intense fire exchange with the terrorists, three brave Policemen, having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat,” it added.

According to ISPR, the effective response of the policemen was a testament to their unrelenting resolve in the fight against terrorism.

“Pakistan’s security forces stand shoulder to shoulder with other law enforcement agencies to ensure peace and stability in the country,” it stated.

At least three policemen were killed while five were wounded when the Police Lines area came under attack, Tank District Police Officer Iftikhar Ali Shah told Aaj News earlier. “Clearance operation is underway.”

One of the deceased policemen was identified as Sub-Inspector Gohar Zaman and another as Sepoy Ahsan, police said. They were laid to rest in their native villages.

He added that three militants were killed in the attack while adding that two terrorists were still in the building.

A heavy contingent of police and other security agencies cordoned off the area. Sources said that at least three terrorists attacked the Police Lines area in the wee hours of Friday.

In response to the attack, security forces closed the Tank-Dera Ismail Khan highway. Sources said that one of the militants hurled four hand grenades before exploding himself at the main entrance.

The building which came under attack was constructed five to six months ago and around 50 to 60 police personnel were deputed there, sources said. The area is two kilometers away from Dera Ismail Khan where at least 25 army soldiers were martyred in separate incidents earlier this week.

“Our force on guard engaged them in a gun battle for hours,” and two more police officers were wounded, Shah told Reuters separately.

KP police chief Akhtar Hayat said three of the attackers were killed. “We are searching for the rest of them, including two who suffered wounds,” he said.

A new militant group, Ansarul Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

Attack on joint check post in Khyber

The attack on the police headquarters was reported hours after security personnel were killed and six injured when terrorists attacked the joint check post of police and the Frontier Constabulary in Khyber’s Bara Tehsil on Thursday night.

The deceased were identified as Naik Murad and Sepoy Ghaffar while the wounded men were named as Naib Subedar Shafiur Rehman, Sepoy Shafiullah, Ilyas, Saddam, Luqman, and a policeman Tariq.

Terrorist managed to escape when police responded to the attack.

Condolences

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar condemned the terrorists attack on Police Lines in Tank and the joint police-Frontier Corps check post in the Khyber district.

In a statement shared by the PTV News, the PM paid tribute to the security personnel for foiling the terrorists plan in Tank.

“This war will continue until the complete elimination of terrorism from Pakistan,” he said, “the entire nation, along with me, pays homage to the brave personnel of the security forces who rendered sacrifices for the security of the country.”

Kakar prayed for the departed security personnel.

“The brave people of Pakistan are standing by their security forces in this war,” he said.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was also condemned the attack on security personnel and expressed his condolences to the families of the martyrs.

“May Allah raise the ranks of the martyrs and give patience to the families,” he said and praised soldiers and policemen for playing the vanguard role in the war against terrorism by risking their lives. “The nation will always be indebted to the great sacrifices of the martyrs.”

Increase in terrorist activities

Experts have often described police as a “soft target” for terrorists, saying that such attacks affect the first line of defence in the country.

“Militants target police as they are a soft and a prime target,” the-then KP Police Inspector General Moazzam Jah Ansari told Aaj News on February 2, 2023. He was on the show after the mosque blast in Peshawar’s highly fortified area.

A KP Police data released in July this year showed that a total of 665 terror attacks were recorded across the province between June 2022 and June 2023.

Earlier this week, at least 25 soldiers were martyred in three different gun battles with terrorists. The three incidents occurred in three different areas of Dera Ismail Khan district in KP, the military’s media wing said.

(With input from Reuters)

This is a developing story. Sometimes verification of facts and details may take time or led to error. But we will try to report after having confirmation from our reporting staff.