Four cops were injured in an explosion in the Serai Naurang town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Wednesday, according to police.
District police spokesperson Qudratullah Khan told Dawn that the explosion occurred on the busy Bannu-DI Khan Road near a fruit and vegetable market.
He said that according to initial information, the attackers targeted a police patrol party from the Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station.
The spokesperson said Head Constable Waheedullah and Constables Syed Anwar, Hadiullah and Ikramullah were injured in the explosion.
He said that the van the police party had been patrolling in was also damaged in the explosion.
The exact nature and cause of the explosion are yet to be determined. Police have not commented on the nature of the explosion, but local residents attribute it to an explosive device, which they said was fitted on a motorcycle.
They also said that some shops and vehicles that were parked near the site of the incident had also been damaged in the explosion.
Separately, security forces killed Khwarij terrorists belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khwarij in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province.
“On reported presence of Khwarij, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in the general area Bara, Khyber District.
During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarijs’ location and after an intense fire exchange, ten Khwarijs were sent to hell,” said a news release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted by Security forces in Bannu District. In the ensuing fire exchange, three khwarij were effectively neutralised.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area, as the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the news release said.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday paid tribute to the security forces for successful operations against Fitna al Khawarij terrorists in the Khyber and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which 13 terrorists were killed.
In separate statements, the president and the prime minister expressed their unwavering resolve to completely eradicate terrorism from the country.
President Zardari stated that operations against terrorists, backed by external elements, must continue to ensure national security and the protection of citizens.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the security forces were standing like an iron wall against terrorism to safeguard the country.