Terrorists target ambulances carrying FC casualties to hospital

TTP drone assault at FC Fort injures several Forces neutralise four terrorists in DI Khan IBO

DERA ISMAIL KHAN/  QUETTA:

Three Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred and several others injured in a series of terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, when a drone strike targeted an FC fort and a subsequent assault set ablaze ambulances carrying the wounded.

According to police, terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), described by officials as Fitna al-Khawarij, launched a drone attack on an FC fort near Dargah Shaheedan in the Bahadar Khel area.

As a result of the assault, which took place within the jurisdiction of Khurram Muhammad Zai Police Station, five personnel - Havaldar Sabir, Sepoy Ameen, Sepoy Zohaib, Sepoy Murad and Sepoy Yousaf - were injured.

Karak District Police Officer Saud Khan said contingents of security forces and other law-enforcement agencies rushed to the scene immediately after the attack, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

"The injured personnel were being taken to the hospital when terrorists launched a second attack on the ambulances en route," the DPO said, adding that the attackers set the vehicles ablaze with the wounded inside.

Three FC personnel were martyred in the assault, while five individuals, including a Rescue 1122 official, sustained injuries. The injured rescue staff were shifted to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu for treatment.

Separately, security forces killed four terrorists belonging to an Indian proxy, "Fitna al Khwarij", during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.

"During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, four Khwarij were sent to hell," the military's media wing stated, adding that weapons and ammunition were recovered.

A sanitisation operation was under way to eliminate any remaining terrorists as part of the counter-terror campaign under the vision of "Azm-e-Istehkam", approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan.

President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the FC fort and the ambulance, paid tribute to the martyred personnel and expressed heartfelt condolences to their families.

"Cowardly acts such as firing on an ambulance cannot shake the national resolve," the president said in a statement.

In another statement, the premier paid tribute to security forces saying, "Under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, security forces are achieving great successes against terrorism".

"The entire nation stands with the Pakistani forces in this war on terrorism," he added.

"We are determined to completely eradicate terrorism from the country."

K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also condemned the incident, stating that the sacrifices of the martyrs would not go in vain and that establishing law and order was a shared national challenge. He directed authorities to provide the best possible medical facilities to the injured.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi termed the attack a "very sad and cowardly act against humanity" and saluted the personnel who sacrificed their lives. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari described the assault on the ambulance as an "extremely cowardly and inhumane act".

Six killed in Panjgur border attack

At least six people were killed when unidentified armed assailants launched a sudden attack in the border area of Chidgi Dashtak in Panjgur district, Balochistan.

The incident occurred approximately 60 kilometers from Panjgur city in the remote northwestern border region close to Iran. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers, riding motorcycles, opened indiscriminate fire on a group of people, killing six individuals on the spot. Following the shooting, the assailants set two vehicles ablaze before fleeing the scene.

Police sources confirmed that the attack took place in the Chidgi Dashtak area, a region frequently affected by smuggling and other border-related tensions. Initial identification has been made of two victims: Dawood son of Awad Jan and Saleem son of Haji Faiz Muhammad, residents of the nearby border village of Nakar. Efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining four deceased individuals.

The bodies were shifted to a nearby hospital, where medical staff confirmed the deaths. Post-mortem examinations at Panjgur District Headquarters Hospital revealed that most fatalities resulted from gunshot wounds.

Assistant Commissioner Panjgur Amir Jan told The Express Tribune that investigations into the incident have commenced, and security forces have been placed on high alert. He noted that such incidents have occurred in the past in this border zone, though no group or organization has so far claimed responsibility.

Police officials described the attack as potentially a terrorist incident, emphasizing that a conclusive determination would follow completion of thorough investigations. A search operation has been launched in the area to track down the perpetrators, with police and security teams arriving at the scene about an hour after the assault and cordoning off the location.

Local residents reported widespread fear and panic following the attack, with many taking shelter in their homes.

This latest violence comes amid a pattern of security incidents in Panjgur district, which has witnessed IED explosions, targeted shootings, and other attacks in recent times. Such events are often linked to Baloch separatist groups opposing ongoing development projects and security operations in the province.

Authorities have stressed that the assault appeared premeditated, as evidenced by the targeting of both individuals and the deliberate burning of vehicles.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)