PESHAWAR: Nine cops, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred and 28 others were injured after terrorists attacked the Khazina Banda checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district late on Wednesday.
A statement issued by KP Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Hameed said that the checkpost was attacked by Fitna al Khawarij, a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while police personnel were present.
He said that the police personnel responded bravely, while additional personnel were also dispatched. However, the terrorists ambushed the contingent, due to which an armoured personnel carrier was damaged.
The IG said that despite these challenges, the personnel fought with bravery and professionalism.
“Fifteen kharji were killed while multiple others were injured due to the police’s response,” he said. The IG added that during the intense and long exchange of fire, nine cops, including DSP Diyar Khan, were martyred while 28 others were injured.
The IG asserted that KP police’s morale and resolve were strong, adding that the battle to wipe out terrorists from every corner of the province would continue.
Speaking to Dawn, a senior police official also confirmed the number of casualties. He said that an exchange of fire broke out after the terrorists attacked the checkpost.
Separately, a police checkpost in the Adezai area, within the jurisdiction of Peshawar’s Mattani police station, was also attacked by terrorists late on Wednesday night.
“Terrorists fired at the post but cops responded, prompting the former to escape,” a senior police official said, adding that all the cops remained unhurt.
Condemnations
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the Khazina Banda checkpost in Hangu, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
In a statement, he expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of nine police personnel, including DSP Diyar.
The premier also commended KP Police for eliminating 15 terrorists in a “retaliatory operation”. “Police have always served as the frontline force in the fight against terrorism,” he noted.
The prime minister reaffirmed the government’s firm resolve to eliminate terrorism “in all its forms” from the country.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and offered his condolences to the families of the martyred officials and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Denouncing the attack, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi sought a detailed report on the incident from IG Hameed, according to a statement by his office.
CM Afridi paid tribute to the DSP and other police personnel who embraced martyrdom in the attack, along with directing that the best possible treatment be provided to the injured.
The chief minister further ordered that the provincial government extend every possible support to the families of the martyrs.
Terming the cops’ sacrifices as “unforgettable”, he said, “Establishing peace is our foremost priority. We will not let the sacrifices of the police forces go in vain.”
CM Afridi asserted that the nation was united in the fight against terrorism and that terrorists will be taken to justice.
KP Information Minister Shafi Jan also condemned the “cowardly” attack in a post on X and expressed grief over the deaths of policemen.
A monthly security assessment released in early June by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
On Wednesday, a policeman and four members of a village defence committee were martyred, while six terrorists belonging to TTP were killed during a joint security operation in the mountainous areas of Swat’s Kabal and Matta tehsils.
On July 6, 27 policemen were martyred in a terrorist attack on a police post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district; nine police personnel were killed on the spot, while 18 others were killed by the terrorists after being kidnapped.
President briefed on security situation
Separately, the interior minister also called on President Asif Ali Zardari, according to a handout issued by the President’s Secretariat.
The statement said that a detailed discussion was held on the overall law and order situation, especially the security situation in KP and Balochistan.
“The interior minister briefed the president on the current law and order situation in KP and Balochistan and the ongoing measures against terrorism,” it said.
It added that President Zardari paid tribute to the bravery, professionalism and sacrifices of the Pakistan Army, law enforcement agencies and police in the fight against terrorism. He said that the entire nation stood with its security forces to eradicate terrorism and establish lasting peace in the country.
“During the meeting, the current political situation was also discussed in detail as well as other important national issues of mutual interest,” the statement said.
