PESHAWAR: An attempted terror attack on Lakki Marwat’s Gambila police station was averted when officers on duty noticed unusual movement nearby and responded with gunfire, taking early action to prevent the assault, police said on Thursday.
The gunfire forced the attackers to flee, and no casualties were reported among the police personnel, according to the statement.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Zulfiqar Hameed, praised the Gambila officers for their exceptional alertness, professional readiness, and swift, courageous response to the attempted attack.
Police have launched an investigation and are combing nearby areas to trace the attackers and uncover any possible hideouts linked to the foiled assault.
The attack comes hours after authorities retrieved the bullet-ridden bodies of nine bus passengers kidnapped by insurgents in a spate of attacks on buses in the mountainous southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said on Friday.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) claimed the killings of the nine labourers, saying that they were involved in spying for Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Officials said the bodies with bullet wounds were found in the mountains overnight, while a provincial government spokesman, Shahid Rind, said the passengers were seized from two buses on Thursday evening.
Security forces foiled three insurgent attacks on Thursday before the kidnappings, Rind said, accusing neighbour and arch rival India of backing the militants.
The attack follows a growing trend of cross-border terrorism in Balochistan, particularly after Pakistan’s recent military victory over India.
Earlier on Friday, the army’s top leadership had vowed decisive and holistic action at all levels against Indian-backed proxies operating inside Pakistan.
