2 terrorists, 1 policeman killed in attack on patrolling post in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Lahore, October 1

Pakistan’s security forces Sunday claimed to have thwarted a terror attack on a police post in Punjab province, killing two most-wanted terrorists of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

One policeman also died in the attack on the Kundal patrolling post in Mianwali during the early hours of Sunday, Punjab police chief Usman Anwar said in a statement.

“Kundal Punjab Highway Patrolling Post, Mianwali (some 300kms from Lahore), in an operation assisted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab, police successfully thwarted an attack by 12 to 15 terrorists last night at approximately 23:45 hours,” he said.

During the operation, Head Constable Haroon lost his life. Multiple terrorists sustained injuries and following a thorough area search conducted by CTD personnel, two bodies were found, said Anwar.

“The operation concluded at 07:45 hours Sunday and it resulted in the recovery of the bodies of two terrorists. One of the terrorists has been identified as Zubair Nawaz, brother of Arshad Nawaz, the chief of TTP Tipu Group of Lakki Marwat,” Anwar said.

Zubair was on the most-wanted list in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to his involvement in the killings of police officers, Shia Muslims and extortion activities. The second terrorist, Muhammad Khan, was also on the most-wanted terrorist list, said Anwar.

There has been a wave of terror attacks in Pakistan in recent weeks.

At least 59 people were killed in a suicide attack in Mastung, a town 60kms from the capital city of Quetta in Balochistan province on Friday. No militant group has taken responsibility for the attack.

Similarly, five people were killed in the Hangu district of KPK province when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday. The ISIS-Khorastan group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan has vowed to strike at the bases of terror groups, including Islamic State and TTP, to avenge these attacks.