Under trial prisoner among three killed in prisoners van attack

QUETTA: Three people, including an under trail prisoner, police personnel and an attacker were killed and three others were injured in an armed attack at the prisoners vehicle on main gate of district jail Dera Murad Jamali, on Wednesday. Officials said that the injured included two police personnel and an armed man involved in the armed attack at the prisoners van.

“Prisoner van was carrying under trial prisoners to the local court for hearing of their cases. The armed men opened fire at the van when it came out of the prison’s main gate, resulting in killing one prisoner on the spot,” SSP Nasirabad, Captain (R), Fahad Khan, said adding that police squad guarding the prisoners van, immediately reacted and returned fire. In the heavy exchange of fire, an attacker was killed and three police personnel and a prisoner were injured.

Soon after the incident, heavy contingent of police rushed to the site and shifted the injured and bodies to district hospital Dera Murad Jamali.

“A police head constable who was injured in the exchange of fire succumbed to his multiple bullet injuries in the hospital,” SSP Fahad Khan said, adding that three injured were admitted to the hospital. The prisoner who died on the spot was identified as Nazar Muhammad Hajwani Jamali while others including police head constable Habibullah Sasoli and an attacker. Police personnel who got injured were identified as Barkat Aki and Abdul Khaliq. The name of injured prisoner was not known so far. Senior police officer said, “it was not a terrorist attack. It happened due to an old enmity which resulted in armed attack.” He said that one of the attackers was arrested who was injured in exchange of fire with police and admitted to the hospital. Efforts were underway for the arrest of other accused involved in the attack.