Attacks in Lakki Marwat and Tank raise concerns as police face rising militant violence in southern KP
DI KHAN:
Assistant Sub-Inspector Mumtaz Ali was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, police said on Monday.
In a separate incident, a police constable who was earlier reported abducted in the tank area was later found dead, officials said.
Police said four gunmen intercepted a pickup vehicle near Adda Wanda Jogi in Ghazni Khel area and forced out ASI Mumtaz Ali before opening fire.
The officer was posted in Tank. The attack took place within the jurisdiction of the Pizo police station, police said.
Mumtaz Ali was rushed to a hospital but died from her injuries. The police state that an investigation has been launched.
ASI Mumtaz Ali, left, and Constable Sajjad Hussain, right. The two police officials were killed in separate attacks reported in Tank and Lakki Marwat. Photos: Express
Officials said the attackers arrived on motorbikes and are believed to have used off-road routes from the Malagan side. They fled along the same route after the attack, police added.
In a separate incident in Tank, police confirmed the killing of Constable Sajjad Hussain. He had earlier been reported abducted from the Shah Alam Abad area while he was on leave.
Police said his body was recovered and shifted to a hospital for medico-legal formalities. Officials said efforts were underway to determine the circumstances surrounding his killing.
Authorities said the two incidents have raised concerns over the security situation in Tank and the nearby southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Read: KP sees 50% increase in terrorist attacks by 2025
Police officers have increasingly been targeted in these areas in recent months, officials said.
According to safety assessments cited in previous reporting by Express PakinomistKhyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded more than 1,500 terror-related incidents during the past year.
More than 130 police officers and personnel were killed in attacks on patrols, convoys and off-duty officials during the period.
Districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Tank were among the worst hit.
Police said both homicides were being investigated from multiple angles. Search and investigation operations were on to trace and arrest those involved, officials said.
