A paramilitary soldier receives medical aid in an ambulance in Chaman. Photo: Reuters
QUETTA/PESHAWAR:
A fresh wave of terrorism struck parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday, leaving seven security personnel martyred and several others injured in separate gun attacks, while security forces killed three terrorists during an operation in Lakki Marwat.
In Balochistan’s Chaman, three security personnel were martyred and another injured when terrorists opened fire on their vehicle in the Roghani area on the outskirts of the border town. Police said the officials were on routine patrol when they were ambushed.
The attackers fled immediately after the assault, while the bodies and the injured official were shifted to Chaman Civil Hospital. Authorities confirmed that the wounded official was in stable condition.
Law enforcement personnel cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down those responsible. Officials noted that similar attacks have previously targeted security forces in and around Chaman.
In a separate incident in Bajaur district, four K-P policemen were martyred and two others injured when armed men attacked an Ababeel police patrol in the Nawa Kalay area of Khar tehsil.
According to police, the squad was on routine security patrol at the time of Iftar when terrorists launched a sudden assault. Station House Officer (SHO) Gul Zada said the policemen came under intense fire, resulting in four fatalities on the spot.
He added that the two injured officials were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar for treatment. Security has since been tightened in the area, and a search operation is under way to apprehend the attackers.
In Lakki Marwat district of K-P, security forces engaged terrorists in the Zariwal Sarband area, killing at least three during an exchange of fire. Officials said one of those killed was Shakir, a commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and a resident of Tajazai.
Sources said Shakir was wanted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in five cases, including facilitating suicide attacks. Authorities described the encounter as part of an ongoing operation against terrorism in the region, adding that further investigations are under way.
“Security forces responded effectively and eliminated key militant elements during the operation,” an official said, underscoring continued efforts to curb the menace that has rocked the province.
(WITH INPUT FROM OUR DERA ISMAIL KHAN CORRESPONDENT)
