At least 4 killed in twin attacks in Pakistan by local Taliban faction
Islamabad, Mar 30 (EFE).- At least four security personnel were killed and seven others wounded on Thursday in two attacks carried out by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – the main Taliban faction in the country – in eastern Pakistan.
The first attack took place in the Lakki Marwat area of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after two armed assailants attacked a police station, wounding six officers, local police spokesperson Shahid Hameed told EFE.
Soon after, the second attack was carried out through a bomb placed by the roadside, which exploded close to a police vehicle that was rushing officers to the police station under siege, the spokesperson added.
“A deputy superintendent of police and three constables were martyred when an improvised explosive device hit their vehicle,” said Hameed, adding that the vehicle’s driver had been injured.
The TTP claimed responsibility for both attacks and said that the deceased deputy superintendent Iqbal Mohamand was in the group’s list of targets as he was responsible for the arrest of some of their fighters.
So far, no arrests have been made in relation to the attacks.
The attacks come days after the election commission postponed elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to October citing a rise in attacks by insurgent groups and the authorities refusing to provide funds to ensure security in the area.
Pakistan is witnessing a surge in terror-related violence since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, which has energized their ideological allies in the neighboring country.
The situation has worsened further since December, when the TTP declared an end to a ceasefire reached with Islamabad a month earlier, accusing the government of not fulfilling its promises as part of the peace negotiations.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, January was the deadliest month for the country in terms of insurgency-related violence since July 2018, with at least 134 people being killed and 254 injured in 44 attacks. EFE
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