Two policemen martyred in attack on DSP's vehicle in Quetta

By
Salman Ashraf
|

QUETTA: Two policemen were martyred in a targetted attack on the convoy of a police officer Wednesday morning. 

Rescue officials said the vehicle of DSP Hameedullah Dasti was attacked on Samungli Road by unidentified personnel from two sides. 

The DSP and his driver remained unhurt, as the pick-up was bulletproof, but two police officials sitting in the back were killed in the attack. 

The deceased were identified as constables Mohammad Tahir and Ayub Shah.

DSP Dasti was posted in the prosecution department and was on his way to court when his vehicle was attacked.  

Sources said law enforcement agencies and rescue teams reached the site of the incident after the attack and launched a search and rescue operation. 

DIG Operations Abdul Razzaq Cheema told the media that the officials sitting in the back, wearing bulletproof vests, were shot in the head and passed away instantly. 

He added that the attackers were waiting to ambush the vehicle as they targetted the vehicle from two sides. 

Frequent attacks 

Police and security officials are often targetted in the Balochistan capital. 

Four security personnel were martyred on Feb 14 when they were attacked near the city's Sariab Road area. Police said unidentified attackers, riding a motorcycle, targetted a motorcycle patrol of the Frontier Corps (FC) while it was on routine duty along a railway track.

On January 28, a policeman was killed in Quetta's Hazarganji area in a targetted attack while on January 18, two Balochistan Constabulary officials were killed in Quetta.

Similarly, a police constable was shot dead by unidentified attackers on the city's Raisani Road on January 16.

A day earlier, on Jan 15, five Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in Kech, Balochistan when their vehicle turned turtle after it was fired at.

On Jan 9, four Balochistan Constabulary personnel were among six killed in a suicide attack near the Balochistan Assembly.

Meanwhile, on Jan 2, at least five people, including two FC personnel, were injured as a result of a gun and bomb attack on a check post in the Baleli area of the provincial capital, said security sources.