Pakistan: Two police officers killed, five others injured after attacks on census team

In separate incidents, two police officers deployed on census duty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank and Lakki Marwat districts were killed, reported the Associated Press Pakistan (APP) citing the local officials and Rescue 1122 on Monday (March 13). It added that five others were injured after they sustained bullet injuries during the armed attack in Tank. Meanwhile, another police officer was also shot dead after he was attacked in the Lakki Marwat district.

According to the report, police constable Khan Nawab was killed on the spot while constables Shah Nawaz and Aslam Khan, Levies official Bismillah, Frontier Constabulary official Abdullah and driver Eid Jan were injured during the attack which took place in Tank’s Kot Azam area. The aforementioned officers were deployed in the district for the security of the census staff when armed terrorists attacked the police van, reported the APP.

Subsequently, the injured officers reportedly retaliated and the attackers fled the scene. The officer who was killed and those injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital Tank where they were said to be in stable condition. According to APP, another contingent of police was deployed who then cordoned off the area and started a search operation.

In a separate incident, two terrorists allegedly attacked police constable Dil Jan who had also been deployed for census duty near Lakki Marwat district’s Parwala village and killed him, reported APP, on Monday. They too managed to escape and later the police reportedly surrounded the area and began a search operation. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for either of the attacks.

This also comes a week after a police officer was killed and four others were injured when a census team accompanied by police personnel was attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, said a report by Dawn. The officer killed was later identified as constable Gul Faraz while those injured were assistant sub-inspector Hayatullah, constables Aftab and Mohammad Naeem and Sabir, the driver. It was later that Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for last week’s attack, as per APP.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE