The dead include 11 army personnel, two police officers and one civilian, CTD official confirms
At least 14 martyred and over a dozen others injured in an alleged suicide attack on Manji Khel police check post on Tank-Dera Ismail Khan Road. PHOTO: EXPRESS
DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
At least 13 security personnel and a civilian were martyred in a suspected suicide attack on the Manji Khel police check post on Tank-Dera Ismail Khan Road in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa late Thursday evening, Dera Ismail Khan Counter-Terrorism Department of Police Superintendent Iftikhar Ali Shah confirmed to Express Pakinomist.
More than a dozen others were injured in the attack. Authorities imposed Section 144 and a district-wide curfew as security forces continued clearance operations.
According to Shah, the deceased included 11 army personnel, two police officers and a civilian working with the security forces. The injured were moved to nearby hospitals, where an emergency has been declared.
Initial reports said a vehicle loaded with explosives drove into the Manji Khel check post, triggering a powerful blast. Heavy gunfire broke out between the attackers and security personnel.
Police said a heavy contingent of law enforcement personnel, security forces and rescue teams reached the scene after the attack, cordoned off the area and launched a clearance operation that continued overnight and into Friday. Additional troops were deployed and security was put on high alert.
Earlier, Tank District Police Officer Abdul Samad had said it was not immediately possible to confirm the extent of casualties due to darkness, adding that a clearer picture would emerge once the operation was over and the area secured.
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Following the attack, Tank Deputy Commissioner Jamshed Khan imposed Section 144 across the district and announced a district-wide curfew in view of the prevailing security situation. According to the order, movement is restricted from 06.00 to 18.00 until further notice.
Dabara to Tank Bypass including Boltan Abad, Gharah Patthar and Gharah Hayat, Tank Bypass-Ranwal-Manji Khel-Bhagwal road and Ranwal Adda will remain completely closed during the restricted hours.
The notice exempts law enforcement agencies, emergency services, ambulances, fire departments and other emergency services from the restrictions. Authorities have urged residents to cooperate with security personnel and avoid unnecessary travel.
Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi took notice of the incident and asked for a report from the relevant authorities.
He condemned the attack, describing it as “a malicious act by the India-backed khawarij” and expressed deep grief over the martyrdom of the security personnel, saying that the entire nation stood with the families of the martyrs in their grief.
Police said the clearance operation remained ongoing and that further details of the attack and any additional victims would be released after the operation was completed.
