At least 11 Pakistani security personnel were killed and 22 others injured after heavily armed terrorists attacked the Khazina police post in Hangu district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday. The police post is located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The attack triggered an intense gunbattle that lasted for around an hour. During the exchange of fire, security forces killed 15 terrorists, according to the Associated Press. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the assault so far.
Reinforcement team ambushed on the way
Following the attack, additional police personnel were rushed to the area to support the forces already engaged in the operation. However, the reinforcement convoy also came under attack before reaching the police post.
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Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed told PTI that the vehicle carrying reinforcements was fired upon while heading to the site. Police officials said the attackers used heavy weapons during the assault. The ambush reportedly damaged an armoured personnel carrier before officers responded and continued the operation.
Pakistani police officials have blamed the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to by the government as Fitna al Khawarij, for the attack. The outfit has been linked to a series of attacks targeting security forces in the region over the past several months.
The latest incident comes only days after unidentified militants targeted another security checkpoint in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan’s top leadership condemns attack
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the police checkpost in Hangu.
“Police have always served as the frontline force in the fight against terrorism,” Sharif said.
The prime minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating terrorism across the country, saying it remains determined to eradicate the threat “in all its forms”.
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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack. According to the President’s Office, he requested President Zardari to brief him on the prevailing law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, along with the ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed repeated militant violence over the years, fuelled by cross-border movement from Afghanistan and multiple military operations. Pakistan’s federal government has consistently accused the banned TTP of carrying out attacks in the province after the ceasefire between the two sides ended in November 2022.
FAQs:
Who carried out the Pakistan police post attack near the Afghan border?
No group has claimed responsibility, but Pakistani police have blamed the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
How many people were killed in the Pakistan terror attack in Hangu?
The attack killed 11 Pakistani security personnel, while security forces said 15 militants were killed in the ensuing gunbattle.
