Cop martyred, two terrorists killed in Mianwali attack

MIANWALI/LAHORE:

A police head constable embraced martyrdom, while two terrorists were killed, as the law-enforcement personnel repulsed a militant attack on a patrol police check post in Mianwali in the wee hours of Sunday, police said in a statement.

The local police said that more than a dozen terrorists attacked the Kundal check post in the mountainous area near Chashma in Mianwali district around midnight, under the cover of heavy fire at the police. As a result, Head Constable Haroon Rashid Khan was martyred on the spot.

The police retaliated to the fire and killed two terrorists, who were later identified as Zubair Nawaz and Muhammad Khan. An injured terrorist was also arrested during the daring police operation. Later, the police started a search operation which continued after sunrise.
 

Constable Haroon Khan was martyred during a terrorist attack at the Kundal patrol post in Mianwali late in the night on September 30, 2023. PHOTO: LEAs

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The police statement said that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) repulsed the attack on the Kundal patrol post by 12 to 15 terrorists. The attack started at around 11.45pm Saturday and continued till around 7.45am on Sunday, it added.

Multiple suspected terrorists were injured and at least two were killed in the operation, the statement continued. The CTD identified one of the dead terrorists as Zubair Nawaz, brother of Arshad Nawaz, the Ameer of the TTP’s Tipu Group of Lakki Marwat.

Zubair Nawaz was a high-priority suspect who was on the most-wanted lists in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) because of his involvement in the killings of police officers and civilians and robberies and extortion activities.

The second dead terrorist was identified as Muhammad Khan – a dedicated member of the group, who proved to be even more dangerous than Zubair. His identification was achieved through exhaustive efforts, including assistance from various intelligence agencies, and advanced software used by the CTD.

This operation was a testament to the “unwavering commitment and bravery of our security forces and reaffirms our collective determination to ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police Dr Usman Anwar said. “We remain resolute in our fight against terrorism.”

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Funeral

Shaheed Constable Haroon Rashid Khan was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Mianwali with full police honours, after the funeral at the Police Lines on Sunday.

The funeral was attended by a large number of senior police officers and locals.

The Punjab IG, the Additional IG Patrolling, regional police officer (RPO) of Sargodha Range, district police officers (DPOs) of Mianwali and other districts, were among those who attended the funeral prayer for Shaheed Constable Haroon.