Three Pak police officers slain, Ansar-ul-Islam militant group claims responsibility

Three police officers were killed in a militant attack near the northwestern Afghan border on Friday (Dec 15). The incident, which resulted in the killing of three militants as well, marked an escalation in violence in the recent past. At the same time, it also heightened security concerns in the lead-up to national elections scheduled for early next year.

This attack followed closely on the heels of another assault in the region just days prior, wherein 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, situated near thetribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

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The Friday (Dec 15) attack unfolded in the adjacent Tank district, where a militant detonated himself at the main entrance of a police office and residence block, paving the way for others to storm in, as perpolice official Iftikhar Shah.

A prolonged gun battle ensued as the security forces engaged the attackers, resulting in the injury of two additional police officers. Provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat confirmed the death of three attackers and disclosed ongoing efforts to locate the remaining assailants.

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A militant group, Ansar-ul-Islam, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to a Reuters reporter. However, the police have not yet verified the claim.

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It was not immediately clear if this group is linked to the main Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group of Islamist and sectarian militants.

In response to the rising threat, the Pakistani military has conducted multiple operations against militants, particularly in the Waziristan region adjacent to the district where the recent attacks occurred. Waziristan had previously served as a stronghold for both local and foreign Islamist militants.

UN Security Council members condemned the "heinous and cowardly terrorist attack on Pakistan’s security forces’ post" on December 12, claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a terrorist group affiliated with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

(With inputs from agencies)