Rashid terms firing at police in Islamabad a terrorist incident

This is the first incident of terror of the current year and we need to be alert, warns the interior minister

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday said firing at a police party in the vicinity of Karachi Company in the federal capital on Monday was a terrorist incident.

Talking to the media after attending the funeral of martyred constable, he said that the incident signalled that terrorist incidents had started in Islamabad. It was not [an incident of] theft or robbery but it was terrorism,” he said. “This is the first incident of this year and we need to be very alert,” he added.

Head Constable Munawar was martyred while two others policemen sustained injuries in a rare shootout in the capital, officials said on Tuesday.

The Monday night gun battle started when two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on a police checkpoint in Islamabad.

وزیر داخلہ @ShkhRasheed کی @ICT_Police کے شہید کانسٹیبل کی نماز جنازہ میں شرکت کے بعد میڈیا سے گفتگو۔#APPNews #Pakistan #Islamabad #IslamabadPolice@MOIPakistan @ahsanpsp pic.twitter.com/QFjZaE71zX

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"A policeman was martyred while two others were wounded," the police said in a statement, adding both attackers were killed.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Pakistan is battling a resurgence of its home-grown Taliban following the group's return to power in Afghanistan last year.

According to police officials the two assailants targeted police personnel Munawar, Amin and Rashid when they were conducting routine checking at Jilania police picket. Later Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Ahsan Younis visited the spot.