LAKKI MARWAT: Two police personnel embraced martyrdom while two civilians suffered injuries in two separate militant attacks in Lakki Marwat district on Sunday.

The targeted attack was carried out in Mangatra Gandi Khankhel area near Serai Naurang town, a police official said, adding that unidentified armed motorcyclists opened fire on Sub-inspector Motabar Khan and his cousin Asfand Yar Khan in the village, injuring them seriously.

“Both received critical injuries and were shifted to tehsil headquarters hospital where the police official, Motabar Khan, was pronounced dead,” the official said.

He said the martyred sub-inspector was investigation officer at the Serai Gambila police station.

Sub-inspector martyred in Panjgur attack

Police reached the area and launched a search for the attackers who fled after the shooting.

In a late night attack, a cop along with his brother was martyred.

“Head Constable Safiullah and his brother Naveedullah were targeted by armed assailants,” said a police official. He said that the cop and his brother lost their lives when gunmen sprayed them with bullets near their house in Abbakhel area.

The martyred official belonged to a police family, as one of their brothers Shafqatullah is a sub-inspector and served as an SHO in different areas.

Gul Janan, father of the deceased, also served in various positions, including assistant group officer, of the special branch police.

The bodies were shifted to the Government City Hospital to complete medico-legal formalities.

Several police officers, area elders, social and political leaders, religious scholars and a large number of people from all walks of life attended the funeral of the martyred policeman and his brother in the Abbakhel area. Later, they were buried at a local graveyard with full official honour.

‘Proud of martyred sons’

After the funeral, Gul Janan, the father of the deceased, said that he felt proud of his martyred sons who offered supreme sacrifice for their soil.

“Today, I buried my two sons,” he said, recalling that one of his sons, Sifatullah, also a police official, had embraced martyrdom while fighting proclaimed offenders in the Takhtikhel area in 2015.

He said that he was the father of three martyrs entrusted with looking after and rearing the children of two martyred sons. He said that though burying two sons at the same time was heart-rending he was in high spirits.

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Earlier, on Sept 4, police constable Waqar Ahmad was martyred when armed miscreants had opened fire on him in Nawerkhel area of Lakki Marwat. Also, Head Constable Allahyar embraced martyrdom in a gun attack in the Sabukhel area of Bannu on Sept 2.

While condemning the terror incidents, several political and social activists asked the Pakhtuns, especially Marwat and Bitanni tribesmen, to forge unity in their ranks to bring peace to their land.

Meanwhile, leaders of Marwat Bitanni Tehreek (MBT) visited the residence of SHO Shafqatullah Khan and shared condolences with him on the demise of his brothers.

MBT chairman Inamullah Khan said the local tribesmen had become fed up with the terrorism and they would not tolerate militant activities on their soil at any cost.

He said that the targeted killing of head constable Safiullah and his brother Naveedullah was a great tragedy and there was need to devise a strategy to stop the occurrence of such incidents in future.

“The blood of Pakhtuns is spilled everywhere”, he maintained, asking the government to tell the people who was their enemy, where did they come from and where did they disappear after carrying out the subversive acts.

Panjgur attack

A police officer was martyred in a gun attack on a police patrol in Cheetkan Bazaar area of Panjgur, on Sunday night, officials said.

Sub-inspector Shakeel Ahmed of Panjgur police sustained gunshot wounds and embraced martyrdom, a senior officer said, adding that the driver and a gunman remained unhurt in the attack.

Police termed the incident a targeted attack. The body was later shifted to hospital.

Behram Baloch in Gwadar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2024