PESHAWAR: Security forces on Saturday foiled a major terrorist attack on the Hassan Khel Police Station in the Mattani area of Peshawar, killing two militants and injuring two others in a fierce exchange of fire, ARY News reported.
Police sources confirmed that two terrorists were neutralized on the spot, while two others sustained injuries before fleeing under cover of darkness. A large-scale search operation has been launched to apprehend the remaining assailants. “A group of seven terrorists launched an attack on the police station, but our personnel — already on alert — responded with full force,” — Dr. Mian Saeed, CCPO Peshawar
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He said that the attackers are suspected members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Reinforcements from police and security forces swiftly cordoned off the area, while rescue and bomb disposal teams reached the scene shortly after the clash.
Officials said the situation is now fully under control, and security across Peshawar has been tightened, especially around law enforcement installations. The Peshawar attack comes less than 24 hours after a deadly suicide bombing targeted the Police Training School (PTS) in Dera Ismail Khan, leaving seven police personnel martyred and 13 others injured.
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Six terrorists affiliated with Fitna-ul-Khawarij were killed during a five-hour counter-terrorism operation that followed the late-night assault. According to officials, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden truck into the PTS main gate, collapsing part of the boundary wall before storming the compound in police uniforms and opening indiscriminate fire.
Security forces responded with overwhelming force, killing all six assailants and recovering suicide vests, explosives, automatic weapons, and ammunition. The injured personnel were shifted to hospitals, with several said to be in critical condition.
The twin attacks in DI Khan and Peshawar underscore the resurgence of terrorist activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Officials believe the recent uptick in violence is linked to cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan, echoing concerns raised earlier by DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who accused India of backing Afghan-based militants against Pakistan.