IED blast kills 2 police officials in Peshawar

Initial reports suggest the explosion was caused by a remote-controlled device.

PESHAWAR: At least two police officials were killed and three others were wounded in an attack on Daudzai police station, near Charsadda road, Peshawar on Thursday, Express News reported.

An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded when the officers were on a routine patrol in the Daudzai suburb of Peshawar, killing two of them on spot, senior police official Shafiullah Khan told AFP.

"It was an IED blast, two policemen have been killed and three injured. Condition of one of them is critical," Khan told AFP.

Peshawar is the gateway to Pakistan's troubled northwestern tribal region along the Afghan border, where Pakistani troops have for years been locked in deadly battles with domestic insurgents.

Peshawar police chief Liaqat Ali Khan confirmed the attack and casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Pakistani Taliban have frequently targeted police and security forces with bomb and gun attacks as part of a five-year insurgency mostly concentrated in the northwest.

Some of the suspects have been taken under arrest, according to police reports.

Rockets fired near Bacha Khan International Airport

Shortly after the explosion on Charsadda Road, rockets were fired near Bacha Khan International Airport, of which one landed near the runway.

According to initial reports, the rockets were fired from the Khyber Agency side of the area.

"The rocket landed inside the airport but there has been no damage to life or property," said a police official while talking to The Express Tribune.