Three traffic policemen martyred in attack in Pakistan

Three traffic policemen have been martyred and three other people injured after unidentified armed men opened fire on a traffic police mobile van in the Wazirabad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district.

Police said two passers-by were among those injured and were taken to hospital for treatment, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to local authorities, the attackers fled with the traffic police van. A heavy contingent of security officers arrived at the scene shortly afterwards and cordoned off the area, while a search operation was launched to locate the suspects and recover the vehicle.

An investigation was under way, with police working to identify and arrest those responsible.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow over the attack and sought a report from the relevant senior authorities. In a statement, he offered condolences to the bereaved families and colleagues of the martyred policemen.

Kundi directed the authorities to ensure that the injured received all necessary medical treatment and prayed for their early recovery.

Earlier this month, at least 21 people, including 15 police officials, were martyred when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque in Kohat Police Lines, followed by an attack on the compound and police facilities, according to senior police and district health officials.

On July 26, a terrorist attack on a joint police checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district martyred 15 people, including 14 security personnel, according to the military’s media wing. The dead included 12 soldiers, two policemen and a government official.

In another attack that month, two policemen were martyred, and two others injured in what police suspected was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing persistent security challenges. According to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), mainland KP recorded 54 terrorist attacks last month, a 50 per cent increase compared with July.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov