DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 14: Two constables and two pedestrians were killed and 10 others, including seven policemen, injured when terrorists disguised as policemen attacked the district police office with hand grenades and automatic weapons here on Saturday.

The attack set off a ferocious exchange of fire between police and the assailants, which lasted about two hours. Two of the terrorists blew themselves up while one lost his life in the police operation that followed the strike.

(The AFP quoted police as saying that four suicide bombers, one policeman and three pedestrians were among the dead. Three suicide bombers detonated themselves while one was shot dead, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Akbar Hoti said.)

The police also claimed to have arrested one of the attackers, Nazar Khan, who was injured during the exchange of fire. Eight hand-grenades were recovered from him.

Police said the attackers, four suicide bombers among them, had entered the DPO compound, near the district courts, and other government offices, hurled hand grenades and opened indiscriminate fire at police.

According to sources, one alleged suicide bomber was killed by constable Muhammad Ismail, who was posted at the police office. Senior military and police officers were in a meeting on the law and order situation at the time of the attack. Security forces encircled the police compound and evacuated people from adjacent offices and district courts before launching the operation.

The dead policemen were identified as Mohammad Ismail and Mohammad Ilyas. The dead pedestrians were Tanweer Ali and Azeem Khan.

The injured policemen and civilians were taken to the district headquarters hospital. Two of the injured were later shifted to Multan’s Nishtar Hospital in a critical condition.