PESHAWAR: Militants escaped as law enforcement personnel retaliated after a police checkpoint came under attack in the Passani village on the outskirts of Peshawar, officials said.
Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed told Dawn, “The militants attacked the police post number 8, and an exchange of fire also took place, but the policemen, deployed at the facility, retaliated, forcing the militants to escape.”
The CCPO further added that the situation was “under control”.
No personnel or militant casualties or injuries were reported so far; however, the nature of the attack and physical losses were yet to be identified.
On November 26, unidentified persons blew up a gas pipeline in Hameed Khan Machine area, some five miles south of the police post in Passani.
Residents said that an explosion had triggered a fire from the pipeline.
A police official said that the pipeline was blown up for the second time. “The same pipeline was blown up two years ago by terrorists,” he added.
On August 15 last year, police and security forces repulsed three midnight militant attacks at as many locations in the jurisdiction of Mattani police station.
Police officials said that militants attacked the Hameed Khan police checkpoint using the latest weaponry from a nearby forest. However, they said that the militants could not hit the police post since they were firing from a distance.
They added that the personnel returned the fire, repulsing the attack. They said that there were no casualties reported.
In a similar attack on Fort Mackson, commonly known as Kishangar post, the militants fired from a distance, which too was repulsed.
The third attack was carried out at the Azakhel Dam post. However, the attack was repulsed when the personnel fired back.
