Pakistan terror attack: Heavily-armed terrorists rammed an explosives-laden truck into the main gate of the training facility in Dera Ismail Khan, causing a massive explosion on Friday.
Three more terrorists were killed after a five-hour gun battle that followed a suicide attack on a police training school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwestern Pakistan, police said. Six additional police personnel also lost their lives in the exchange of fire, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The attack targeted the Ratta Kulachi Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan district on Friday night. Three terrorists were initially neutralised in retaliatory fire, while several others took cover inside the compound. During a clearance operation later that night, three more terrorists were killed, bringing the total number of assailants eliminated to six.
Authorities said a total of seven police personnel died in the attack, while 13 others sustained injuries. All trainee recruits and staff members were safely evacuated to secure locations.
The operation was jointly carried out by SSG commandos, the Al-Burq Force, the Elite Force, and local police units. The incident began when terrorists rammed an explosives-laden truck into the main gate of the training facility, causing a massive explosion. Moments later, the attackers, wearing various uniforms, stormed the compound and opened indiscriminate fire.
Police personnel quickly retaliated, surrounding the militants who continued to hurl grenades during the prolonged exchange. DPO Dera Ismail Khan Sahibzada Sajjad Ahmed and RPO Syed Ashfaq Anwar personally supervised the operation on-site.
Six terrorists killed, arms haul recovered
Following hours of intense fighting, six terrorists were eliminated, and security forces recovered suicide vests, explosives, sophisticated weapons, and ammunition from their possession. The injured police personnel were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to DPO Ahmed, around 200 trainees, instructors, and staff members were present at the facility during the attack but were safely moved to protected areas.
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, confirmed that the compound has been fully cleared and that a search and clean-up operation is underway to ensure no further threats remain.
The IGP commended the leadership of the RPO and DPO for the successful operation, paying tribute to the officers who laid down their lives and announcing rewards for the personnel who took part in the mission.
With inputs from PTI
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