At least seven police personnel, including superintendent of police Khurshid Khan, were killed and 12 others injured when militants attacked a police checkpost in the Ghaziabad Matani area in the outskirts of Peshawar late on Sunday.
Officials said more than 100 militants attacked the checkpost at around 9.30pm on Sunday. At first, the attack was repulsed and the militants were forced to flee. Sometime later, SP Khurshid Khan rushed to the checkpost along with his personal staff, but they were besieged by militants.
The militants opened indiscriminate fire on the police officials from all sides and even hurled hand grenades at the checkpost. The militants first shot the policemen and beheaded Khurshid Khan later. They also set the police post and two official vehicles on fire and escaped with official arms and ammunition.
The injured personnel were employees of Peshawar Police and Frontier Constabulary and were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, where several were said to be in danger. Khurshid Khan has become the second SP Peshawar Rural who lost his life at the hands of the militants in the last six months. Earlier, SP Rural Kalam was killed in a suicide attack a couple of months ago. The Matani area of Peshawar is adjacent to Khyber Agency and Frontier Region Darra Adam Khel where militants have long maintained strongholds.
These militants have been involved in deadly attacks against security forces and pro-government tribesmen. Two days ago, more than 16 people were killed in a suicide attack on a peace lashkar in Darra Adam Khel.
Bodies of SP Khurshid Khan and other personnel were dispatched to their native towns and villages after funerals at Police Lines Peshawar on Monday. Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Governor Barrister Masud Kausar, Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmati, Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain attended the funeral prayers. Talking to reporters, Chief Minister Hoti paid glowing tribute to the slain policemen and said it was time the entire nation became united against the militants. Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain urged the federal government to start immediate military action against the militants where ever they were. He said frequent acts of terrorism confirmed that militants were active and had become a threat to the life of innocent people. Meanwhile, a high-level meeting held with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police in the chair discussed the latest security situation in depth and took certain decisions.
Militants behead SP, kill six cops in Peshawar raid
