Two cops martyred in Mastung gun attack

Two policemen were martyred and two others sustained injuries after unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle along the National Highway near Choto in the Mastung district of Balochistan on Friday, officials said.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said it was a targeted attack on the vehicle of acting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abdul Razaq. DSP Abdul Razzaq and Constable Raza Muhammad embraced martyrdom while two others were injured, he added.

He confirmed that it appeared to be a targeted assault on DSP Abdul Razaq. The injured – constables Taj Muhammad and Khurshid Ahmed – were taken to a nearby hospital. "Security forces have been dispatched to the site and a search operation is under way to trace the attackers," he said.

Infiltration bid foiled

Meanwhile, security forces foiled an infiltration attempt by suspected terrorists through the Pak-Afghan border and arrested five would-be suicide bombers in K-P. Sources said that the forces started tracking the suspected teenaged boys as soon as they entered Pakistan via a river.

Security teams quickly blocked all their escape routes, as they started moving towards Azizkhel and Mandikhel. The suspects tried to hide in a mosque in village Bassikhel but surrendered after the security forces surrounded them.

According to initial investigation, the sources said, all the five boys were Afghan citizens and aged between 15 and 18 years. Three of them carried Afghan identity cards, they said, adding that their movement, timing and route suggested that they were potential suicide bombers.

"All suspects have been detained and shifted to a secure location for further interrogation. The timely and professional action of the security forces not only thwarted a potential terrorist attack, but also highlighted Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the security of its borders and citizens," a source said.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUR DI KHAN CORRESPONDENT)