DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least three people, including two Customs officials, were slain in an attack near Bannu Road late on Saturday, according to police.

This was the second attack on Customs officials in Dera Ismail Khan in five days.

A police spokesman said the Customs officials were travelling in a vehicle when armed assailants opened fire near Yarik Toll Plaza.

Two Customs officials, including inspector Hus­nain and constable Ziad Khan, lost their lives in the attack.

A civilian, whose identity was yet to be ascertained, was also killed.

According to APP, two Customs officials were also injured in the attack.

The bodies and injured officials were shifted to the D.I. Khan District Headquarters Hospital.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gover­nor Ghulam Ali, Fina­nce Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and expressed sympathy to the victims’ families, APP reported.

Mr Naqvi paid tribute to officials “who sacrificed their lives to prevent smuggling” and vowed strict action against smugglers.

On Wednesday, five Cus­toms officers were gunned down in an ambush during an intelligence-based ope­r­ation within the remits of Daraban police station.

A civilian and a minor girl were also killed in the attack.

The slain officers belonged to the Customs’ Dir­ec­torate of Intelligence and Investigation (Pesha­war) and were conducting an IBO when they were ambushed by unknown assailants, an official statement issued by Customs said.

FC official martyred

In a separate attack on Sunday, a Frontier Corps (FC) personnel was martyred after being fired upon by unknown assailants in D.I. Khan’s Kulachi tehsil.

The martyred soldier was on leave from duty when he was gunned down.

A police official said the FC personnel, identified as Mohammad Zubair, was sitting at his brother’s mobile shop when the attackers opened fire.

He was martyred on the spot.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and expressed his sympathy and condolences to the martyr’s family.

“We share the grief of the bere­a­v­ed family,” CM Gandapur said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2024