A policeman was killed and three were injured when Thal police station was attacked by militants early Monday morning.
Hangu DPO Anwar Saeed Kundi told the media the attack occurred at 5am when four unidentified militants, including a suicide bomber, hurled hand grenades inside the station. In a bid to repel the attackers, a police official shot at the suicide bomber upon which the bomber detonated his vest.
Policeman Sabir Nawaz died in the ensuing blast while Umer Saeed, Mir Jan and Yousaf were injured. Kundi added the injured were rushed to CMH Thal where their condition is said to be stable.
Saeed said unidentified militants threw four hand grenades inside the station when he and three other officials were preparing to say the morning prayers. “I was lying injured on the ground when one of our colleagues started firing in retaliation,” he said. In the midst of the heavy crossfire, a bomb went off, allowing the militants to escape.
Another official who was on duty when the attack took place said five blasts occurred in which four were the result of hand grenades while the last one was a suicide bomber. “We retrieved parts of the dead militant and sent them for DNA tests,” he added.
After the attack, heavy contingents of Thal Scouts, security forces and police reached the site. After a curfew was imposed, law-enforcement officials launched a search operation in which 50 suspects were held.
Funeral prayers for Nawaz were offered at Hangu Police Lines and his remains were later taken to his hometown Karak for burial.
Banned militant group Ansarul Mujahiddin claimed responsibility for the attack. While speaking to journalists from an undisclosed location, the group’s spokesperson, Abu Baseer, said the attack was a reaction of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan. More attacks will be carried out on government installations in future, he added.
Thal is located along the borders of Kurram, Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies. Thal police station is where an FIR was filed against the US drone strike in Hangu. An FIR on Monday’s attack was filed against unidentified militants.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2014.
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