Six cops martyred as forces fight off TTP attack

Six policemen and a mosque prayer leader were martyred and 12 others -— 11 policemen and a civilian — were injured in a brazen terrorist attack on the police training school in a southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa district late Friday night, the military's media wing confirmed on Saturday.

On the night between October 10 and 11, terrorists attempted to breach the perimeter wall of the police training school in Dera Ismail Khan, but "their nefarious designs were swiftly foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of law enforcement personnel deployed", the ISPR said in a statement. The attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the gate of the complex.

"Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, police personnel engaged the intruders, eliminating three Khwarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij, the ISPR said. Fitna al Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its allies.

The attack triggered a fierce gunfight in which six policemen, including trainees, embraced martyrdom after putting up a heroic fight, while 12 policemen and one civilian also got injured. "While cornering the remaining two intruding Khwarij in a building complex, they were later neutralised by security forces in a deliberate clearance operation with precision," the statement read.

"During this heinous attack, Khwarij attacked the mosque inside the school complex and not only desecrated the holy place of worship but also barbarically killed the imam [of] the masjid, an innocent civilian who was performing the duties of Imam at the school," the statement read.

The ISPR said the sanitisation operation is continuing in the area, and the perpetrators of the "heinous and cowardly act will be brought to justice."

"The security forces, alongside law enforcement agencies of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further strengthen our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs," the statement said.

TTP claims attacks

The outlawed TTP claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks in different parts of K-P that, according to the group, claimed 23 lives, AFP reported. The attacks, which included the police training school rampage, were carried out on Friday.

The attacks came hours after the Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan accused Pakistan of "violating Kabul's sovereign territory", a day after two explosions were heard in the Afghan capital. Pakistan did not say if it was behind the blasts in Kabul but said it had the right to defend itself against surging border militancy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "strongly condemns" Friday's attacks, his office said in a statement. "Such cowardly acts by terrorists cannot shake our resolve against terrorism," the statement said. "We are determined to completely eliminate terrorism from the country."

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel terrorists using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation that authorities in Kabul deny. The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence.

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP "receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities", referring to the Taliban regime.

More than 500 people, including 311 troops and 73 policemen, have been martyred in attacks since January up to September 15, a military spokesman said on Friday.

(With additional input from AFP)