File photo. Wakil Kohsar—AFP
A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and three constables were martyred on Thursday after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated as their convoy was passing on the Pirwala Road in Lakki Marwat, according to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police.
In a statement, the police said that detonation occurred as the personnel were traveling to the Saddar police station to supplement forces battling militants. “The DSP, along with a heavy contingent, left for the police station after he received information regarding a terrorist attack there,” it said. “On the way, near the Pirwala turn, an IED blast occurred in which DSP Iqbal Momand and constables Ali Marjan, Waqar and Karamatullah were martyred,” it added.
According to the police, terrorists had opened fire on the Saddar Police Station early on Thursday, triggering an exchange of gunfire. During the clash, six policemen were injured. The militants, they said, had fled the scene after the attack, adding that a search operation had been launched to locate and apprehend them. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed the attack on the police station.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident, emphasizing that the sacrifices of police officers in the war against terror would not be forgotten. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured, he said in a statement that eradicating terrorism was essential for Pakistan’s survival and development. He also extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Local media has reported that funeral prayers for the martyred policemen have been offered at the Police Lines in Lakki Marwat.
There has been a marked resurgence of terrorism across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the TTP unilaterally ended a ceasefire with the government and urged its fighters to target law enforcers “wherever they may be.” According to the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, January 2023 was one of the deadliest months for Pakistan since July 2018, with 134 people killed and 254 injured in 44 militant attacks nationwide.