Three terrorists were killed after attempting to attack a police checkpoint in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, last night, police said in a statement on Saturday.
KP Police said three terrorists belonging to the group Fitna-al-Khawarij The night before he had tried, unsuccessfully, to attack the Mazanga police checkpoint.
Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Police said the terrorists were trying to attack the Mazanga police check post using a rickshaw loaded with explosive material. During this attempt, they were intercepted by police officers who attempted to detain them due to their suspicious activity, police said.
When they did not stop, the officials opened fire, causing the rickshaw to explode, the statement said, adding that the three terrorists were killed while the police personnel remained safe.
The explosion caused minor damage to nearby houses, he added.
According to the statement, Bannu Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sajjad Khan and Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kalachi praised the swift and brave response of the police officers, saying they had “set an exemplary standard of duty, bravery and professionalism”.
The statement said Bannu police were “fully committed to protecting people’s lives and properties at all costs”. The statement added that the DIG and DPO had also announced cash rewards and certificates for the officers stationed at the check post.
Of late, Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terrorist activities, mainly in KP and Balochistan. In November 2022, the TTP, after breaking a ceasefire agreement with the government, had promised to intensify attacks against security forces, police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies.
On Thursday, the military said security forces had killed 34 “Indian-backed” terrorists during multiple operations that took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over three days.
