Islamabad, May 1 (IANS) One police constable was killed and two other personnel injured after armed assailants targetted a police vehicle in a rocket attack at Kangar Jan Bahadur in Bannu city of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, local media reported.
The incident took place when a police vehicle from the Fateh Khel checkpoint was targetted with a rocket attack while personnel were heading back to police lines, according to Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi, Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune reported.
Constable (driver) Raza Ali Shah was killed while two others were injured in the attack. The injured police personnel were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Afridi said the attack was followed by firing and explosions, resulting in authorities closing Miryan Road for traffic. Security forces cordoned off the area and began a search and combing operation.
The incident occurred amid a rise in attacks targetting law enforcement personnel in Pakistan, especially the border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier this week, a police head constable was killed after armed assailants targetted a checkpost in Huramzai area of Pishin district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported.
Police said armed assailants opened fire on a police checkpost using automatic weapons, following which police retaliated, Pakistan’s Dawn reported. According to the police official who wanted to remain anonymous, the exchange of fire, which continued for some time, claimed the life of head constable. The attackers fled from the spot.
On April 19, two Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Kuram Garhi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to police, the FC personnel were shopping at a local market on Sunday, when the assailants, who arrived on a bike, attacked them and managed to flee from the spot.
On March 18, an assistant sub-inspector of the Elite Force was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Mano Banda area of Gandigar in Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police. The personnel identified as Bacha Yousaf Khan, was targetted by unidentified assailants outside his residence. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
–IANS
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