Two cops embrace martyrdom in Shangla grenade attack

SHANGLA: Terrorists carried out a grenade attack on a police checkpoint in Chakesar, District Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the martyrdom of two policemen and injuries to three others, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

According to the police, martyred cops were identifies as assistant sub-inspector Hassan Khan and constable Nisar Khan, while, Muharrar Arshad Khan, Constable Arshad Khan, and Constable Rifat are wounded.

The injured cops have been transferred to a hospital in Battagram for treatment, the police added.

Terrorist attacks have been rampant in the provinces of KP and Balochistan, targetting especially the law enforcement and security forces.

A police constable was martyred in a separate gun attack in the jurisdiction of Parmuli Police Station in Swabi when militants opened fire on him, The News reported.

Zubir Mohammad, brother of the the slain cop, told the police that the Ishtiaq Ahmad was returning from his poultry farm when the militants targeted him late on Monday night.

He said Ishtiaq was last deputed in the sub-division of Peshawar Electric Supply Company.

On the other hand, gunmen opened fire at polio workers killing two in separate attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, marring the first day of the nationwide anti-polio campaign by violence.

A policeman, providing security to a polio vaccination team, was martyred in the Shakar Khel area of Banda Daud Shah tehsil in Karak after being shot by the armed assailants.

Whereas one polio worker was also injured in the attack, the police said.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a polio worker was gunned down in Bannu's Kala Khel Masti Khan area while he was on his way to work.

The third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% surge in violence, according to a report issued by Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review.

Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan – marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for the entire 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023.

Meanwhile, terrorist groups continue to reorganise and beef up their ranks. Most of the terror attacks remained unclaimed by terrorist or insurgent groups, likely for tactical reasons, as per the report.