SP, three police guards martyred in Quetta gun attack

Mubarak Shah’s vehicle ambushed while he was on his way to work; JuA claims responsibility

A superintendent of police and three of his security guards were gunned down in Quetta on Thursday in a daredevil assault.

According to details, unidentified men on motorcycles intercepted SP Mubarak Shah’s official vehicle near the Killi Deba area of Joint Road when he was on his way to office and opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot and fatally injuring three of his guards. His driver was also left injured.

“The four armed men opened fire on both sides of the vehicle,” a senior police officer Sultan said.

SP Mubarak Shah died instantly while the three security guards succumbed to their injuries in Civil Hospital during treatment.

Police official, quoting the autopsy reports of all the four policemen, said that the assailants targeted the heads and upper torsos that led to their deaths.

Both described the incident as "an act of terrorism".



The driver, who also suffered injuries in the ambush, is said to be in critical condition

The three policemen guarding the senior police officer were identified as Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Irfan and Muddassar Fazale Rabi.



A faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the armed attack.

“We carried out the armed attack on police officials,” Asad Mansur, the purported spokesman for the militant outfit claimed in a message issued on social media after the incident.

It was the second incident of a police official coming under attack in the past week. DPO Chaman Sajid Khan Mohmand was martyred in a suicide bomb attack on Monday.

Funeral



Bodies of all the four police officials were handed over to the police authorities after completing medico-legal formalities.

The bodies were later brought to Police lines headquarters where their funeral prayers were offered.

Inspector General Police Balochistan Ahsan Mehboob, Inspector General Frontier Corps Major General Nadeem Anjum, GOCs 41 and 33 dives Major General Abid Latif and Major General Nadeem Zaki, Additional IG Dr Mujeebur Rehman, Regional Police Officer (PRO) Quetta Abdul Razzaq Cheema and large number of other people attended the funeral prayers.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Home Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti condemned the attack and said the sacrifices of policemen would not go in vain.

In their separate statements they said that war against terrorism would continue till the elimination of last terrorist and their facilitators.

They paid tributes to the police officials and said that they lost their lives in the line of duty.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri directed authorities to take all possible steps to arrest the culprits behind the attack.

According to data collected from Police Headquarter, so far 833 policemen including 17 DSPs, two DIGs and other police officials were killed in numerous attacks including suicide hits and target killing.