Cop martyred in Bannu police post attack

CTD arrests four militants including local commander

BANNU/ DI KHAN:

Attacks at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police have been taking place almost on a daily basis across the province since the banned Tahreek-e-Taliban (TTP) called-off its ceasefire with government as militants stormed a police post on Tuesday night in Bannu, killing one policeman.

Police told The Express Tribune that militants surrounded and attacked Kinger Pull police post in Bannu last night.

“Police fought back and repulsed the attack after 30 minutes of gunfight. One police Head Constable Sardar Ali Khan Marwat lost his life in the exchange of fire with militants,” said an official of police, adding that a contingent of police was sent to reinforce the post but militants had managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Meanwhile a team of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Bannu raided a safe house and arrested four hardcore terrorists on Wednesday.

Police said that a TTP Commander Attiq Gul alias Tipu Gul was also arrested. He was wanted to police in several cases of targeted attacks at police posts.

In a separate raid, CTD also arrested a terrorist Zahidullah, resident of Janni Khel, Bannu. He had a head money of Rs20 million for his arrest dead or alive.

In yet another incident of terrorism, four armed men made two policemen hostage and took away their official AK-47 rifles in Darazaida area of DI Khan district. The attackers managed to escape with the rifles.

Both the policemen were on polio security duty when they were made hostage by four militants. Police reached the area and started a door-to-door search operation.

The last rites of the slain police head constable were held at Bannu police lines with full guard of honour. Later the coffin was sent to the deceased’s ancestral hometown for burial.

It may be mentioned here that on Tuesday, unidentified miscreants entered the residence of a Frontier Constabulary employee in Janni Khel Bannu and killed him. They also took away his head with them which was later found hanging from a tree.

On Tuesday, three terrorists were also killed in exchange of fire with CTD and police in DI Khan during an operation.

All the slain terrorists belonged to TTP’s Gandapur group.

Arms seized

In Landi Kotal, customs authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition from Afghanistan.

Chief Collector Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Salim while displaying the seized arms to media said that taking action on a tip-off they stopped a loaded truck with registration plate E-3657 as it crossed the border. He said the truck was loaded with pomegranates being exported from Afghanistan. Authorities searched the truck and recovered 16 US-made automatic guns including 7.62mm M13, 5.56mm balls, M855 10RD clips cartridges, and 9mm cartridges. The arms were concealed in the hidden cavities of the truck.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2022.