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KABUL – At least 10 police officers were killed militants launched a brazen attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, north-western Pakistan, on Monday killing 10 police officers. Six officers at the Chodwan police outpost were also injured during the assault, which occurred in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
This assault, the deadliest in Dera Ismail Khan this year, unfolded just days before the national elections in Pakistan, heightening concerns about security in the region. Preliminary investigations suggest the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s involvement, as stated by Akhtar Hayat Khan, the inspector general of police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The area where the attack took place is infested with militants,” Khan remarked, highlighting the challenges faced by security forces. The militants utilized advanced weaponry, including night-vision guns, giving them a tactical advantage during the nighttime assault.
Revealing a grim sequence of events, Abdul Ghaffar, a local police officer, explained that attackers scaled the walls of the police station around 3 am, seizing a bunker on the roof. From this vantage point, snipers targeted police officers as they exited rooms or looked outside. The assailants further infiltrated rooms within the station, perpetrating additional violence.
The timing of this attack is particularly alarming as Pakistan experiences heightened violence leading up to the general elections scheduled for February 8. Balochistan province, in particular, has witnessed a series of blasts claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army and ISIS. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has declared its intent to target security personnel while sparing political activists during the election campaign.
As the nation grapples with the aftermath of this devastating assault, questions loom about the effectiveness of security measures and the broader implications for the upcoming elections. The incident underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by Pakistan in the volatile run-up to the polls.
