Daily Times

PESHAWAR: A ceremony was held at central police office here on Monday in which Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani awarded Mardan police officials who successfully stopped and encountered the suicide bomber that wanted to kill general public.

On May 30 at 9:35pm, the city police station patrolling vehicle spotted a cyclist at a distance of 100 metres from the police station. On suspicion, the police patrolling party signalled him to stop but he tried to hurl a hand grenade on the police. The police jawan fired seven bullets which all hit the suicide bomber.

The Bomb Disposal Squad detonated the suicide jacket and the eight kilogram IED and recovered two hand grenades and a revolver from his possession. The bomber wanted to destroy the general public with the help of the IED and then by exploding himself with his explosive-laden jacket.

Addressing on the occasion, Nasir Durrani narrated different actions of the Mardan region police in which several attacks of the miscreants were successfully foiled. On May 21, two target killers were gunned down in Swabi involved in killing of polio team district head, security guard of the Wild Life Department, driver of additional session judge of Haripur, killing of eight police officials including two traffic officials, he said.

On May 23, police defused two bombs each of five kilograms outside Charsadda police lines. On May 25, four hardened criminals wanted in 11 heinous cases from Dwa Sare Charsadda were killed in a police encounter. The police chief informed the media that alertness, presence of mind and boldness exhibited by the jawan against the suicide attacker spoke volume of his professional commitment and bravery.

He said that the jawans fired seven bullets and all hit to the bomber. Later on, the Bomb Disposal Squad skillfully diffused the suicide jacket and the eight kilograms IED and recovered two hand grenades and revolver from the attacker, he said. He revealed that the suicide attacker used to get training across the border in Afghanistan and carried out attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He also said that both army and police jawans were fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against militants and were carrying out joint operations in settled areas against militant sleeper cells beside Zarb-e-Azb military operation. On this occasion, the IGP awarded ASI Asad Iqbal (BDS), HC Asif (PS city), Constable Zahir Shah (PS City), Constable Driver Ziaullah (PS City) and Fazal Hayat (BDS) with cash prizes and commendation certificates.