PESHAWAR: Banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday claimed responsibility of attacking a police check post set up on the main Peshawar-Kohat Road in the Matni area on the outskirts of Peshawar, killing seven FC and police personnel.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Khurshid Khan and six others, including police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel, were killed whereas 12 others were injured when more than 300 militants attacked the check post.
Speaking over the telephone to this correspondent from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan accepted the responsibility of the attack and said they beheaded SP Khan and two FC officials during the fight and had taken away heads of all three security officials with them.
“We have also taken away two night vision goggles, 15 Kalashnikovs, two rocket launchers, three mobile jammers, 30 rounds of magazines and three heavy machine guns from the check post,” said Ehsan. Two TTP fighters sustained injuries during the fight, he added.
According to police sources, the heavily armed militants attacked the check post, resulting in a three hour gunfight.
Those killed included three policemen and four FC personnel. Sources said the militants had beheaded SP Khan on the spot.
The 12 injured included FC and police personnel who were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced the Sitara-i-Jurat award for the slain SP in recognition of his bravery.
The militants ransacked the check post and set it on fire, reducing police equipment and weapons in the office to ashes. At least four vehicles and three motorcycles were also destroyed in the attack.
Police sources said the militants fled after the attack and there were no militant casualty figures available as yet whereas a number of security personnel were missing.
Funeral prayers of SP (rural) Khan and the other slain officials were offered later today.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, KP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and a large number of police officers were among those attending the prayers.
Speaking to media representatives after the prayers, Chief Minister Hoti said that terrorists wanted to deteriorate Peshawar's security situation.
Moreover, the provincial information minister said that the KP government would soon launch an operation against the terrorists.
