KHYBER/LAKKI MARWAT: Three persons including two policemen and a cook were killed when terrorists attacked a checkpost in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber tribal district on Thursday evening.

Khyber DPO Mohammad Imran told journalists that terrorists conducted a three-pronged coordinated attack at Takhtabeg checkpost on the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway at around 7:30pm.

He said that the attackers, including a suicide bomber, initially hurled hand grenades at the police post alongside resorting to indiscriminate firing which resulted in the killing of a policeman on the spot while critically injuring two others including a cook.

“One of the injured policeman succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to hospital while the cook died at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar later,” said the DPO. The two martyred policemen included Younas Khan and Manzoor Shah while the cook was identified as Rafiq, all hailing from Jamrud.

He said that police courageously intercepted the suicide bomber at the entry point of the checkpost as he was trying to enter and blew himself inside the checkpost.

Operation launched against militants in Lakki Marwat

He was killed when his explosive-laden jacket was blown up with police firing.

“No policemen was either killed or injured in the suicide explosion,” said the DPO. He added that police collected body parts of the suicide bomber for forensic investigation.

He said that a part of the checkpost was also damaged due to explosion of suicide jacket and grenade attack. He said that an extensive search operation was immediately launched in the surrounding localities jointly by police and counter-terrorism department personnel to trace and arrest the attackers, who managed to escape.

Nobody claimed responsibility of the attack till filing of the report while police officials said that they recently received threats from militant groups and were on high alert.

Sources told Dawn that the attack was carried out at a time when there was rush on the main road. They said that traffic was immediately suspended while the motorists and passersby ran for cover in the surrounding localities. No civilian was, however, affected in the attack.

In Lakki Marwat, a search operation was launched after a clash between police and terrorists in a forest along the Kurrum River in Ihsanpur area on Thursday.

Officials said that the clash took place when a large police contingent raided the hideout of terrorists in the dense forest locally called Darga.

“Terrorists fired at police with automatic weapons. They also used rocket launchers and other heavy weapons,” they said. They added that the forest spreading over a vast area along the river was used by the terrorists as safe haven.

Ihsanpur area is located on plain and saline lands between Gambila and Kurrum rivers. A bridge over the Gambila River links the area with Lakki Marwat city.

The trans-Kurrum river locality known as Kurrum Par area borders Karak and Mianwali districts where several terrorist attacks on police force had taken place in the recent months. Six policemen had embraced martyrdom when terrorists attacked them in the Kurrm Par area two months ago.

Officials said that policemen were dispatched to the area on credible information about the presence of terrorists in in the forest. They said that a police van was damaged in the attack by terrorists. “Policemen equipped with modern and heavy weapons also took positions and returned the fire bravely,” they added.

They said that the policemen engaged the terrorists until an additional contingent reached there to assist them. They said that security forces and commandos of Quick Response Force (QRF) also reached Ihsanpur area and took part in the operation against terrorists.

Officials said that the policemen and soldiers remained unhurt in the fierce gun battle. “The law enforcers have besieged the forest and a search operation is under way,” they said.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2023