PESHAWAR - Continuing their sabotage activities in Peshawar, militants in another blatant attack on Friday morning stormed into a police station in the provincial metropolis killing four police personnel and leaving six others injured, while another planted device exploded in Gulshan Colony on Ring Road injuring a person.
Sources said armed militants wearing suicide jackets attacked Kotwali Police Station(C Division Police Station) on Friday morning. Around 300 new recruits were present at the police station in their compartments. C Division Police Station serving as barracks for police personnel was also being used as Special Branch office as well as a residence for police officials. On duty policemen engaged the attackers immediately after the attack and exchanged fire with them. The militants hurled hand grenades to get into the police station.
One of the attackers exploded himself after entering the premises at ground floor, second bomber detonated his explosive device on first floor and the third one blasted himself at second floor in the office of Peshawar police Special Branch. Resultantly, four police personnel were killed along with attackers. Six police officials also sustained injuries in attack.
Heavy contingent of police rushed to the site and encircled the area. A state of high alert was declared across the city
Edhi ambulances and rescue staff also rushed to the site and shifted the injured and dead to Lady Reading Hospital. The killed were identified as Inspector Munawar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Dawar, Khan Shah and Falak Naz while Refaqat, Ansub Ali, Gohar Zaman, Salam, Amjad Javed and Muqaddar Shah were among injured.
Talking to newsmen, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Imtiaz Altaf said the militants hurled hand grenades at security men on the gates which triggered the clash. He said the policemen promptly responded to the attack and bombers had “no other option except to explode their suicide jackets.
Similarly, in another attack in the provincial metropolis on Friday, a bomb went off with a bang on Ring Road when a man was allegedly busy in planting the same. The alleged miscreant sustained injuries. Police said investigation was going on to ascertain whether the arrested man was a terrorist or a commoner.
Sources said the bomb had been planted on a roadside near a police picket and was detonated using a remote control device. Rescue officials and the Bomb Disposal Squad reached the site and collected the evidence.
Meanwhile Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Masood Kausar has highly eulogised the efficient, prompt and effective response of the police personnel to counter a terrorist attack at Police Station C Division and said, “It indeed speaks the high standard of their professional competency, capabilities, spirit and courage and we feel proud of it.”
Strongly condemning the Friday morning terrorist attack, the Governor expressed his profound grief over the loss of precious lives of the police force and offered his heartfelt sympathies with the members of the bereaved families. “The entire nation shares the grief of the bereaved families of police jawans. They should not feel alone in this hour of distress,” he said.
This attack, the Governor said, in itself spoke of the state of frustration on the part of the militant elements involved in heinous crimes and no effort would be spared to bring them to court of law and provide justice to the affected families. He said no effort would be spared for ensuring best available treatment facilities to the injured. The Governor also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls. He also wished early recovery of the injured.