https://arab.news/wbjk2
- Attack took place in Banda Dawood Shah near Bannu, a region troubled by militancy
- One officer critically injured and taken to hospital as police launch search operation
PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen ambushed a police patrol in northwest Pakistan last night, a senior official said on Thursday, killing three policemen and wounding another before escaping.
The assault occurred in Banda Dawood Shah, in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, an area close to Bannu that has long been prone to militant violence.
Bannu itself was the scene of a major attack earlier this week, when six security personnel and six militants were killed in an hours-long battle at a paramilitary Frontier Constabulary base after a suicide bomber rammed the compound.
“The attackers, who were lying in ambush, suddenly opened fire on the police party at around 9:30 p.m. [on Wednesday],” said Shaukat Khan, spokesperson for Karak district police.
“Inspector Umar Niaz and two other policemen succumbed to their injuries on the spot, while one personnel was critically injured and rushed to a nearby hospital,” he added.
Khan said the assailants fled after the attack, prompting police to cordon off the area and launch a search operation.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to determine the motive.
KP has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, much of it blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of militant outfits in the region.
Pakistani officials say TTP militants operate from neighboring Afghanistan and have previously accused the Kabul administration of “facilitating” cross-border attacks. Kabul rejects the allegation, saying Pakistan’s security issues are its internal matter.
Pakistani security forces have also launched intelligence-based operations in the region to counter the militant presence.