Peshawar, February 24 At least six police officers were killed and one other was injured in a militant attack on a police van in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, local police said on Tuesday.
The District Police Officer of Kohat said the attack occurred on Shakardara Road, where assailants ambushed the police vehicle, resulting in multiple casualties.
Initially, Deputy Superintendent of Police Wahid Mehmood and two gunners were reported killed, while four other personnel sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital.
Three of the injured officials later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the death toll to six.
Police officials said the attackers also set fire to the police van after the attack and fled the scene.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed to the area, and a search operation was launched to track down the perpetrators.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack and sought a detailed report from the Inspector General of Police.
Describing the incident as "extremely tragic," the chief minister described the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police as the first line of defense against terrorism.
Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi also strongly condemned the attack on police, saying that the law and order situation in KP's southern districts had deteriorated significantly.