DPO says two terrorists killed after attack on police in Bannu

PESHAWAR: Two alleged terrorists were gunned down soon after they attacked a police patrolling car with a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in the Mundan area of Bannu district, officials said on Monday.

An official said a car of the Mundan Police Station was on a routine patrol when it was targeted by a remote-controlled IED in Tughalkhel area of Bannu. "The police car was damaged in the attack while a passerby, Shaukat, was wounded and was taken to hospital.

A search operation was launched after the attack", District Police Officer Bannu, Yasir Afridi, told The News. The official said during the search operation the police were informed that two motorcyclists were seen escaping with weapons for cover in the Huwaid area. He added contingents of district police and Counter-Terrorism Department intercepted the motorcyclists but they opened fire on the cops and hurled a hand-grenade at them as well.

"The police retaliated. An encounter took place between the police and the two motorcyclists during which both the terrorists were killed,” another official of the Bannu Police said. He stated that the police recovered the remote-controlled device used in the IED attack on the police car in Mundan. He added that pistols, explosives and hand-grenades were seized from the accused.

The official said the accused were later identified as Mazhar and Rizwan who were wanted to the police and Counter-Terrorism Department in a number of attacks in past years.