12 killed in attack on Swat CTD police station

Shafi Ullah
MINGORA: At least 12 policemen were martyred and more than 40 people injured in a “suspected suicide attack” at a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Swat’s Kabal on Monday, police said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan said security officials were on “high alert” throughout the province. Meanwhile, the provincial health department has imposed a state of emergency at hospitals in Swat.
Earlier, District Police Officer Shafi Ullah Gandapur (DPO) said there were two blasts inside the station, which destroyed the building. CTD DIG Khalid Sohail said the building’s collapse caused a power outage, the extent of which is yet to be determined. The building that collapsed was an old one while most offices and personnel were located in a newer building, he added.
The DIG said that the cause of the blasts was not yet known. “Ammunition and mortar shells were kept inside the station. It is possible that they were behind the explosions. It could also be a suicide attack,” he said.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah condemned the blast and expressed sadness over the lives lost. “This scourge of terrorism will be uprooted soon,” he asserted. KP Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan also condemned the blast and directed that the injured be provided timely medical attention. The provincial government would not abandon the heirs of those martyred, he assured.
The blast was also condemned by Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori. The latest attack comes as Pakistan faces a rise in terrorism incidents, with militants targeting law enforcers in their new offensive. The security agencies have also ramped up operations against the terrorists.Meanwhile, one hundred and twenty-five police personnel embraced martyrdom and 212 others sustained injuries in different militant attacks across the province during the first quarter of 2023. A total of 25 cases of militant attacks have been registered with the police during the three months, police data shows.
According to the data, 15 militant attacks were reported against police in January 2023, in which 116 personnel embraced martyrdom and 189 were injured. Three militant attacks were reported in February 2023, in which two police personnel embraced martyrdom and five others were wounded. Seven cases were registered by the police in March 2023, wherein seven policemen embraced martyrdom and 18 others were wounded.
Meanwhile, a senior police official told media that following a surge in attacks on the police in January after the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off the ceasefire, the police were equipped with latest weaponry, leading to reduction in the number of attacks in February and March. “There were fewer attacks reported in February and March,” the police official said, adding the force was carrying out intelligence-based operations and hunting down the militants.