Conflicts & War

6 policemen killed in ambush by Pakistani Taliban

Islamabad, Nov 16 (EFE).- Six policemen were killed when their convoy was ambushed Wednesday by the Pakistani Taliban in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan.

The attack occurred in the early hours of the day in Shahabkhel area in the province’s Lakki Marwat district.

A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson said in a statement that the police van was entering their area to conduct a raid.

“This morning (…) mujahideen of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ambushed a police convoy coming for the purpose of a raid, in which 6 policemen were killed or injured,” Muhammed Khurasani of the TTP said.

However, Yunus Khan, a police official at the district police headquarters, told EFE the vehicle was carrying out routine patrolling when it was attacked.

Khan also confirmed the death of the six policemen in the ambush.

“Terrorists who were hiding behind bushes opened fire on a police van patrolling and killed all six of them,” Khan told EFE.

The TTP also said its fighters seized five machine guns, many bullets and several other goods from the convoy.

In another statement, the TTP claimed a US drone on Tuesday targeted one of their hideouts and killed three of their fighters in Kalachi area of Dera Ismail Khan in KPK province.

“Later the army and CTD (Counter-Terrorism Department) Police conducted a joint raid where the Mujahideen (fighters) also resisted,” the statement added.

The TTP said its remaining fighters fled the area safely.

Response from the Pakistani military on the Taliban claim was not immediately available.

For over a decade, the TTP has been fighting the Pakistani forces to topple the central government in Islamabad and impose their own brand of Shariah, or Islamic law.

It has carried out numerous terror attacks killing thousands of citizens and security forces in the country since its emergence in 2007.

After the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan last year, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist activities by the TTP.

However, negotiations between TTP and the government also started last year with the Afghan Taliban playing the role of a mediator.

However, negotiations between the TTP and Pakistani government also started last year with the Afghan Taliban playing a role as a mediator but with no significant outcome yet.

Following talks and an initial one-month ceasefire, the outlawed TTP unilaterally announced in June an indefinite ceasefire with the Pakistani government, but the outlawed outfit has continued targeting security forces mainly in the tribal belt on the pretext of self-defense. EFE

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