Islamabad, October 11: The Pakistan Security forces foiled a major terrorist attack on the police training center in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, after a six-hour joint operation. Seven policemen were killed and 13 others were injured in the attack. At least five fighters, including a suicide bomber, were killed. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to The Express Tribune, armed fighters stormed the training center in the Ratta Kulachi area at around 8:30 pm on Friday. The attackers rammed a truck laden with explosives into the main gate, causing a portion of the boundary wall to collapse and killing a police officer on duty. After the explosion, the attackers entered the premises and started firing indiscriminately.
District Superintendent of Police Sajjad Ahmed said, “The area has been cleared and a search operation is underway.”
According to police officials, 13 injured personnel were shifted to the trauma center of the DHQ hospital and are receiving treatment there.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Director General of Police (Public Relations) Mohammad Imran Khan said that around 200 police recruits and officers present at the training center at the time of the attack were safely evacuated. He said that all blocks of the center and the NADRA office have been evacuated. During the operation, security forces recovered suicide vests, grenades, explosives, and other ammunition from the scene. A police officer said that many militants active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have links to Afghanistan and are using US weapons left behind after the army’s withdrawal in 2021.
Earlier, reports in The Express Tribune and The News newspaper said that police and security forces foiled the attack and killed at least three insurgents.
Police had said that seven to eight armed attackers attacked around 10 p.m. At 8 o’clock, they entered the training center through the main gate. Upon entering, they began firing indiscriminately, using rocket launchers and automatic weapons.
Police said armored vehicles, special units, and Al-Buraq Force personnel were immediately dispatched. Security forces surrounded the attackers inside the complex. SHO Aftab of Sadar Police Station said three attackers were killed in the gunfight that lasted more than three hours.
Residents nearby said they heard loud explosions. The first blast was so powerful that it shook nearby buildings.
Police officials said the attack occurred when former Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan was returning to Dera Ismail Khan from Gandapur Peshawar. The sound of the explosions spread panic within his convoy. Medical officials at the district headquarters hospital reported that seven bodies had been brought in so far, and 11 others were undergoing treatment. Acting Senate Chairman Syedal Khan strongly condemned the attack.