Punjab IGP says 'external forces' behind Sialkot terror attack

LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar Friday blamed "external forces" for a recent terror attack in Sialkot.

The provincial police chief said the involvement of external elements was confirmed from the crime scene, while the "accused were arrested" and will be produced in a court of law soon.

"A terrorist attack took place in Pakistan, which was planned in another country," he said, speaking during a press conference in Lahore.

On Wednesday, three assailants shot dead two people and injured its imam in a mosque within the limits of Saddar Police Station in Daska.

According to a report by The News, the assailants entered Masjid Al Noor at Mundayke during Fajr prayers and opened fire at people praying.

As a result, the mosque in charge Shahid Mehmood and security guard Hashim were martyred, while Imam Abdul Waheed received bullet injuries.

Soon after the incident, District Police Officer Sialkot Hassain Iqbal reached the spot to begin investigations.

Giving an update on the probe, the Punjab police chief said that the culprits behind the terror activity were traced within 24 hours, while the allegations against Pakistan were proven false.

"​The conspiracy against Pakistan was planned abroad. The evidence against the accused will be presented in court," Dr Usman said.

He resolved to expose the terrorists and their facilitators before the world, claiming to prove the "evil country", which is the enemy of peace in Pakistan in the next press conference.

386 personnel martyred in terrorism 

For the past year now, Pakistan has been gripped by a spate of terror attacks, with Balochistan and KP particularly being under the radar of militants targeting security forces and civilians to deteriorate peace.

Earlier this month, a quarterly report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said close to 386 personnel — including 137 army and 208 cops — have lost their lives in the first nine months of 2023 in the fight against terrorism, largely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, putting it on an eight-year high.

"With 1,087 violence-related fatalities recorded so far during the year, the outlaws suffered 368 (34%), followed by civilians with 333 (31%) fatalities," the report stated.