Peshawar, February 25 At least four police officers were killed and two others were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a patrol party in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, police said.
The gunmen targeted the Ababeel Squad, an exclusive patrol force, during Iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan, near the Nawai Kallay area in the Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan.
The squad was on a routine patrol when unidentified attackers opened fire on them, killing four police officers on the spot while two others were seriously injured.
The police officers were on their way from Inayat Kallay bazaar to the Bajaur police lines when they were attacked.
The deceased were identified as Yar Zada, Dawood Khan, Imran Khan, and Siraj Khan, while Irshad Khan and Azizur Rehman were injured, SHO Gul Zada said.
The injured police officers were immediately taken to the district headquarters hospital in Khar for treatment.
Meanwhile, a police team led by senior officials immediately rushed to the site of the incident and launched a search operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed grief over the killing of police officers and sought a detailed report on the incident.
The chief minister directed the authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.
Afridi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is on the front line in the fight against terrorism and that the "sacrifices of police personnel are unforgettable".
"The cowardly actions of terrorists cannot shake the resolve of the police," he added.
The attack in Bajaur took place a day after seven police personnel were killed in two attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On Tuesday, six law enforcement personnel, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Asad Mehmood, were killed in a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in the Kohat district.
In a separate incident, a constable was killed after unidentified men opened fire in the Mughal Khel village of Wana tehsil in Lower South Waziristan.
On Monday, three Federal Constabulary men were killed when terrorists attacked rescue teams in the Karak district.
Last week, a terrorist attack involving an explosive-laden vehicle on a checkpost in Bajaur district resulted in the killing of 11 security personnel.
