DERA ISMAIL KHAN / LAKKI MARWAT: Two pol­i­cemen embraced martyrdom and four others sustained injuries in militant attacks on census teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s sou­thern districts of Tank and Lakki Marwat while a militant was shot dead in a security forces operation in Dera Ismail Khan district on Monday.

A police van came under attack in the Kot-Azam area of Tank district while it was returning from a village, ac­c­ording to a spokesperson for district police. “Militants opened fire on the police van when it was returning from Manjhi village [after duty hours]. As a result, one poli­ceman embraced martyrdom and four others sustai­ned injuries,” said police spo­kesman Syed Yaqoob Buk­hari, adding that the att­ackers fled after shooting.

The injured personnel were rushed to Tank district headquarters hospital from where they were referred to Dera Ismail Khan due to unavailability of required facilities, he said, add­ing that law enforcement agenc­ies’ personnel reached the site and launched a search ope­ration against the militants.

The martyred policeman was identified as Khan Nawab, a recruit of Kohat pol­­ice training centre, belo­n­ging to district Swat. Fune­ral prayer for the martyred policeman was later offered at the District Police Office which was attended by officers of law enforcement agencies, police and others.

Same day in another militant attack on a census team, a Frontier Reserve Police (FRP) police constable was martyred in Pirwala area of the Lakki Marwat district.

Escorting the government staff on census duty in the rural area, FRP constable Diljan was seriously wounded when two armed miscreants opened fire on him and escaped, the police said.

Shortly after the shooting, a police contingent, headed by DPO Mohammad Ishfaq Khan, reached the scene and launched a search operation in the area. A rescue 1122 team also rushed to the site and shifted the body to Government City Hospital. The martyred cop’s funeral was held at the District Headquarters Complex in Tajazai.

TTP suspect killed

A member of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) wanted to security agencies in more than a dozen cases of murder and militant activities was gunned down in a joint operation in Dera Ismail Khan, police said.

The D.I. Khan police said Abdul Rasheed alias Rashidi was killed in a joint intelligence-based operation carried out by police and security forces in Rohri area of Tehsil Kulachi on Monday.

However, according to a statement issued by the ISPR, terrorists opened fire on a police party employed on census security duty in general area of Raghzai in Tank district. “Resultantly, one policeman, having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat. On receipt of the information, security forces immediately cordoned the area, blocking all possible escape routes. Fleeing terrorists were intercepted in general area Gara Guldad, Tehsil Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan District. After intense exchange of fire, terrorist commander Abdul Rasheed alias Rasheedi, was killed,” the ISPR said.

The killed terrorist was wanted by police for his involvement in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians. Locals of the area appreciated the operation and security forces’ commitment to eliminate the menace of terrorism, it added.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2023