10 cops martyred in DI Khan attack

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Ten cops were martyred and another nine sustained injuries when heavily armed militants attacked the Chodhwan Police Station in Daraban tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district early Monday, officials said.

The militants armed with sniper guns attacked the police station building at around 2am by hurling hand-grenades at cops, added officials. They attacked the police station from all directions and did not allow the cops to respond to the attack properly. The assault left 10 cops martyred and another nine wounded.

The sudden attack created fear among the people living in the nearby localities. It was a sudden attack and the cops were caught off guard. The martyred cops included the officials of the Elite Force of the police from Swabi. The cops from other districts were also deployed in Dera Ismail Khan in connection with the election duty.

A heavy contingent of the police arrived at the spot after learning about the attack. The law and order had deteriorated in various parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the situation was getting worse as the election day is drawing near.

The martyred cops were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Kosar, Ehteram Syed, Rafiullah, Hameedul Haq, Mohammad Aslam, Ghulam Fareed, Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Idrees, Mohammad Imran and Mansoor. Some of the injured cops included Ahmad Hussain, Akbar Zaman, Inayatullah, Sohrab Khan, Ibrahim and Naseeb Khan. Meanwhile, the funeral prayers for the slain cops were offered at the Police Lines in Dera Ismail Khan. KP caretaker Chief Minister Arshad Hussain, Chief Secretary Nadim Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dera Ismail Khan Range Nasir Satti and other senior officials attended the funeral. A contingent of the police presented a salute to the martyred cops. The coffins were draped in the nation flag and wreaths. Later, talking to reporters, IGP Akhtar Hayat said cops bravely faced the militants and laid down their lives for the sake of the country. He said the police would spare no effort to protect the life of people. The IGP said that such a brazen attack carried out in the dead of the night could not dampen the resolve of the police force. Meanwhile, the caretaker chief minister visited the command and control system at the police lines. He also presided over a meeting at the Commissioner’s House, where he was briefed about the arrangements to ensure holding of free, fair and peaceful elections. Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister said that it was the top priority of the caretaker government to conduct polls in a transparent manner.