President, PM grieved over loss of security personnel in Bannu operation
A “key terrorist” was killed and a police constable martyred in the early hours of Sunday when gunmen attacked a police checkpost in the Shahbaz Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat District, a local police official said.
“The terrorists attacked the police [checkpost] with heavy and automatic weapons and tried to break in,” Lakki Marwat police spokesperson Shahid Hameed media, adding that RPG-7s, grenades and other “advanced weapons” were used.
“The attack was thwarted by the timely action of the police,” the spokesperson said.
Hameed identified the martyred policeman as Constable Tehsinullah of the Rapid Response Force.
“A key terrorist was killed during the police’s retaliatory action,” the spokesperson said, identifying him as Owais Abdulkhel. Weapons were recovered from his possession.
The suspect was wanted by the CTD Counter Terrorism Department) Bannu for being allegedly involved in attacks on police and security forces, Hameed said.
A police search operation is underway in the area. The martyred police constable’s funeral prayers were offered at the office of the Lakki Marwat district police officer on Sunday morning, where they were attended by police and army officials.
The attack comes in the wake of a recent uptick in terrorist attacks across the country after the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its months-long ceasefire with the government.
President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed their grief over the shahadat of security personnel in the Bannu operation.
The president and the prime minister expressed their condolences and prayed for the high ranks of the departed soul.
They also paid tribute to shaheed sepoy Muhammad Waseem for sacrificing his life for the motherland, a press release said.
The prime minister said that the sacrifices of the personnel of the armed forces for the protection of the motherland were unforgettable.
