Unknown assailants gun down two policemen in Quetta

QUETTA: Unknown assailants opened fire in Sarki Road area of Quetta on Sunday, killing two traffic policemen and injuring four people.

Police officers Abdur Rasheed and Bashir Shah, who were on their way home, died at the spot.

A police party soon arrived at the crime scene from a nearby post and killed two of the assailants who were travelling on a motorcycle.

Four passersby were also injured during the exchange of fire and were rushed to Quetta’s Civil Hospital for medical help where the condition of one of them was declared to be critical.

Following the incident, Quetta Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Razzak Cheema visited the site for inspection.

He also informed the media that one of the attackers managed to escape the scene in an injured state.

Talking to the media, he said, “The citizens should help us too in the war against terrorists so that we can defeat terrorism.” He also appealed to the citizens to inform the police about any suspicious activity.

Police officials believe that the incident is a part of an ongoing targeted killing spree in the city.

On May 18, the provincial capital witnessed a major terrorist bid where five suicide bombers, attempting to storm the FC Madadgar Centre, were intercepted and killed by security forces.

On April 24, six policemen were killed and six others were injured in a suicide attack that targeted a police van on Airport Road in Quetta.

In January, seven people were killed on Quetta’s Zarghoon Road when a suicide bomber rammed into a parked police truck, injuring 16 people.

Balochistan has faced a number of security challenges in recent months, with security personnel in the province often being targeted in roadside explosions and suicide attacks.