Two policemen martyred, two injured in suspected IED blast in Tank

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two police personnel were martyred and two others injured on Monday in a suspected improvised explosive device attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, according to police sources.

The sources said the apparent target was a police armoured personnel carrier on Tank-Jandola Road. Initial information suggested an IED had been planted on the roadside and was detonated when the vehicle was on routine patrol within the limits of Shaheed Mureed Akbar Police Station.

Police sources identified the martyred officials as Assistant Sub-Inspector Fareedullah and Constable Akhtar Zaman. The injured were identified as Constables Abdul Malik and Qudratullah, who were shifted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment.

Following the explosion, security forces and police sealed off the area, the sources said. A search operation was also launched, while investigators began collecting evidence from the site and initiated an inquiry to determine how the incident took place and who was responsible.

In a statement issued by his office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report from the relevant authorities. He paid tribute to the martyred policemen and expressed condolences to their families, while also directing officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.

The governor said the fallen policemen were a matter of pride for the nation because of their sacrifices in the struggle against terrorism.

Such attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve [in the fight] against terrorism,

the statement quoted him as saying. It added that he also called for a thorough probe into the attack and stressed that those behind it should be brought to justice.

Recent attacks in Tank

Police personnel have repeatedly come under attack in Tank in recent months as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face militant violence. Last week, according to police, unidentified gunmen shot dead Elite Force Constable Ziaullah Bhittani in broad daylight in the district’s main bazaar near Sahib Jan Serai, close to the Durand Gate police post, before fleeing.

On June 20, police officials said a constable, Fidaullah, was injured when unidentified attackers hurled a grenade at a police checkpost near a shrine in Tank. The grenade exploded inside the premises of the post.

Earlier, Head Constable Jan Alam was martyred on May 10 after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, while another head constable, Uzair Khan, was shot dead in March in Tank city’s main bazaar area. Police officials had said Uzair Khan was sitting at a shop in Gali Dak Khana when armed men opened fire on him.

The broader security picture has also shown renewed strain. According to a monthly assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, Pakistan’s security situation worsened sharply in May after two months of improvement, mainly because of rising militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.