Islamabad, April 7 (IANS) At least five police personnel were injured in an explosion in the Shahbazkhel town of Lakki Marwat district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local media reported citing confirmation from the police department.
According to leading Pakistani daily Dawn, district police’s spokesperson Qudratullah said that ‘Fitna-al-Khawarij’ carried out the attack on the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway. Pakistan uses ‘Fitna al Khawarij’ term for terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He said that the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted on motorcycle parked on the road exploded with a loud bang. The official stated that the blast targetted police patrol from Shahbazkhel police station.
The police spokesperson said that one Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and four constables were injured in the blast. According to the spokesperson, police van they were patrolling in was damaged in the explosion. The spokesperson stated that the injured police personnel were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
He further said, “After the blast, a large police contingent reached the town, surrounded the area and launched a search for the perpetrators of the attack.”
In the past few months, police forces have faced attacks in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur.
On Monday, two police personnel and a private security guard were killed after unidentified assailants attacked them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Monday, Dawn reported.
In the first incident, armed assailants riding motorcycles targeted a police constable, Sher Mohammad, near the Kingar Jan Bahadar area on the Miryan Road. Police said the constable was heading for his duty place when armed assailants opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. Following the incident, law enforcement personnel reached the site, cordoned off the area and started a search operation.
The second incident occurred in Bakakhel area of Bannu, where a police constable, Rafiullah, who was deployed at a Nadra office and private security guard, Gul Shah Noor, were killed in a firing incident. Following the incident, police personnel reached the spot, cordoned off the area, gathered evidence and launched a search operation for the attackers.
–IANS
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