Pakistani Taliban attack police stations in country's north-west

In a surge of violence in Pakistan, particularly in its north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and tribal districts, two separate attacks have resulted in at least four casualties.

As reported by The National, a commando operation is underway against militants in a police installation in the Tank district.

In the early hours of Friday morning, militants attacked police positions in Tank, killing two policemen.

A spokesman for Tank Police, reported that the district police officer in Tank, Iftikhar Shah, was trapped in the police station during the operation.

Ansar Al Jihad, a new militant outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack in Tank, but security experts believe it is a front organization for Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. Analysts suggest the use of fake names is an effort to conceal their links to the Afghan Taliban and TTP.