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Sunday, June 26, 2011

TTP attacks DI Khan police station, 10 killed

* Five other policemen wounded as two suicide bombers, one of them burqa-clad, explode themselves after hours-long standoff inside a police station in Kolachi Town

DERA ISMAEL KHAN: Two terrorists attacked a police station in the country’s northwest on Saturday, fighting gunbattles before blowing themselves up during a five-hour standoff that killed at least 10 police officials, authorities said.
After the terrorists entered the police station in Kolachi Town of Dera Ismael Khan near the border with South Waziristan Agency, TV footage showed black-clad security squads armed with rifles scrambling into positions around the facility. Three explosions rocked the scene in quick succession, setting off plumes of smoke into the sky.
At least 10 police officers died while five others were wounded during the siege, regional police chief Imtiaz Shah said. He said that the siege began when the attackers dressed in burqas took out guns at the station’s main gate and killed policemen deployed there.
About 17 policemen were on duty at the time and were taken hostage by the terrorists once they ran out of ammunition, the police chief said.
“Our people are being killed inside,” said police constable Jan Muhammad, who emerged from the station bleeding after he managed to escape and was quickly taken away by rescue teams. Intelligence officials said early on that between seven and 20 attackers were involved.
But, towards the end of the operation, as security teams canvassed the building for leftover bombs or booby traps, police official Salahuddin Khan said investigators believed that only two, possibly three, attackers staged the assault.
One of the attackers detonated a vest as an armoured vehicle tried to enter the compound, police official Javed Khan said.
He said that since the police station was close to the lawless tribal belt, it was likely that the attackers had come from there. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying it was partly in revenge for the US raid that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan confirmed that the group sent two attackers, one of them a woman.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the attack and paid tribute to law enforcement agencies for courageously fighting and eliminating terrorists.
The premier prayed for eternal peace for those martyred and expressed heartfelt condolences with bereaved families. He praised the cooperation extended by the locals to their brave soldiers. The prime minister also directed the local authorities to provide best medical facilities to those injured. He also reiterated the government’s resolve to fighting against terrorists until their complete elimination. agencies

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

 

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