2 policemen on polio duty gunned down

Two policemen were gunned down while on polio duty in Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday.

Talking to The Express Tribune District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahid said that two policemen were returning from polio security duty at around 2 O’clock in the afternoon when they were attacked by unidentified terrorists. He said that both had been shot in the head and soon after the attack a manhunt had been launched in the area.

Palo Dheri village, where the incident took place in Rustam, borders with Buner and is considered a difficult mountainous area. It is already infamous as in the past several large scale operations were carried out against militants in the area in which police, security forces and terrorists sustained heavy losses.

The unfortunate policemen have been identified as Syed Raza Ali and Shahkir. The bodies were first discovered by the local residents who informed police about it. A large contingent of police reached the area and shifted the bodies to hospital but they had already breathed their last.

Police said that both the constables were residents of Bakhshali village in Mardan. Their last rites were performed at Mardan Police Lines attended by IGP, DPO and other high-ranking officials. The dead bodies were then sent to their ancestral villages where they were laid to rest.

Talking to media IGP Sanaullah Abassi said that policemen were killed but the lives of polio workers were saved. He said that there was a threat alert too and they were acting cautiously too.

“An attack of this nature in Mardan Division has taken place after a year. One year ago in Swabi polio workers were targeted. We are also trying to crack down on the remaining miscreants in the area who have escaped the previous operations. We are working hard to this end,” he said, adding that a crackdown in K-P was in full swing and two terrorists had been killed in Bannu.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^h, 2021.