Five police personnel including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), were martyred and two under-custody suspects were killed in a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in Kohat on Monday, officials said.
According to the District Police Officer (DPO) Kohat, the police mobile was targeted on Shakardara Road in a suburban area of the district. The attack left DSP Lachi among the five martyred, while three police officials and four others sustained injuries.
Police said the incident occurred when a team was transporting under-custody suspects and unknown armed assailants opened fire. A heavy exchange of gunfire ensued between the police and the attackers. Two of the under-custody suspects also lost their lives during the firing.
The martyrs included Inspector Anargul Khan, a gunman, a reader, and a driver. Several injured personnel were shifted to hospital for medical treatment.
Police officials further stated that the attackers set the police vehicle on fire after the assault and fled the scene.
Following the incident, panic spread in the area and security was put on high alert. Heavy contingents of police reached the site and launched a search operation. Additional police reinforcements were dispatched to the affected locality from Kohat.
Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack on the police vehicle, reportedly carried out by terrorists referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij.
In his statement, Mohsin Naqvi expressed solidarity with the family of the martyred DSP Asad Mahmood and other fallen personnel, saying the government stands with them in this difficult time.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi also condemned the attack and sought a detailed report from the Inspector General of Police.
Sohail Afridi described the incident as deeply tragic, stating that the blood of the martyrs would not go in vain. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police serve as the first line of defence against terrorism, and their sacrifices are unforgettable.
