TANK: At least three police personnel were martyred during an attack by terrorists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Tank yesterday, the military said.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), five terrorists including a suicide bomber attempted to attack the Police Lines in Tank city, however, brave policemen offered stiff resistance. It said that the security forces in the vicinity were immediately mobilised to support the police force and in the ensuing operation, all five terrorists were killed.

However, during the intense fire exchange with the terrorists, three brave policemen, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom. ISPR said that the effective response of the policemen is a testament to their unrelenting resolve in the fight against terrorism. “Pakistan’s security forces stand shoulder to shoulder with other law enforcement agencies to ensure peace and stability in the country,” it added. The province of K-P has seen a recent surge in terror attacks.

In one of the worst terror attacks on army troops in years, six terrorists attacked a security forces check post in the Daraban area of DI Khan earlier this week on Tuesday. “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack," said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties; 23 brave soldiers embraced shahadat, while all six terrorists were effectively engaged and sent to hell,” the ISPR added.

The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a group that only emerged on the scene in February this year, claimed responsibility for the DI Khan attack.

Following the DI Khan attack, Islamabad demanded that Kabul investigates the attack and take stern action against perpetrators of the recent attack, publicly condemn the terrorist incident at the highest level, take immediate verifiable actions against all terrorist groups. However, the interim Taliban regime in Afghanistan said the Afghan government is open to investigating the deadly attack in DI Khan, asserting that the Pakistani military should have prevented such incidents on its territory.

"If they ask for an investigation, if they share the details with us, we will do the investigation, said Zabiullah Mujahid. He emphasised that the incident had no connection with Afghanistan, dismissing Islamabad's claim as baseless.

Last week, the United States threw its weight behind Pakistan in the wake of the renewed threat posed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as the key aide of President Biden said his country stands with Pakistan.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 16 2023

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