MIANWALI, Feb 7: Eight security personnel were killed in an attack on a checkpost here in the small hours of Saturday.

According to police sources, armed men attacked the checkpost of Punjab Patrol in Mianwali’s Qudratabad area at 3:30am and shot dead two Razakars.

They then blew up a double-storey building housing the checkpost with explosives, burying six policemen inside.

The bang sowed terror in adjoining villages, making most people wake up from a deep sleep.

Bodies of the two Razakars, identified as Sajawal Khan and Sher Khan from Attock district, were taken to the Mianwali DHQ hospital.

It took the administration four hours to start removing the debris. The operation began after explosive experts from the armed forces gave clearance.

The six dead policemen were identified as ASI Sher Khan and wireless operator Bahadur Khan of Mianwali district, HC Zafar Iqbal, constables Ghulam Abbas, Mohammad Ilayas and Yasir Arafat of Khushab.

The bodies were taken to the DHQ hospital for post-mortem.

Hospital sources said that all the eight bodies were bullet-ridden. Two of them were mutilated.

An imam at mosque in Qudratabad told Dawn that he heard sound of gunfire, followed by a loud explosion.

A large number of people gathered in the hospital to see the bodies. Traders closed shops in mourning. DPO Malik Tasadaq Hayat traced the attack to a strike on another checkpost at Dara Tang three days ago. No life was lost in the attack.

A police officer told Dawn that the Punjab police had arrested three suicide bombers last year with an explosive-fitted car in Dara Tang. They had confessed that they were going to Khushab to target then Federal Minister Sumaira Malik.

He said since then “terrorists” were constantly threatening police with dire consequences if their associates were not freed.

Funeral prayers for the eight policemen were held in the afternoon.

Punjab IG Shaukat Javed, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Mohammad Ajmal attended the funeral.