DI KHAN: Heavily armed militants Wednesday attacked a police station
near South Waziristan tribal region and killed two police men, police
said. The militants, who had arrived in three vehicles, fired rockets on
the roadside police station in Daraban area in Dera Ismail Khan
district at 4 a.m. District Police Officer, Suhail Khalid said.
The
militants after firing rockets surrounded the police station area
hurled hand grenades inside the building, killing a police officer at
the scene. Another policeman died later in hospital of wounds. The DPO
said at least four policemen including Station House Officer, Zulfikar,
were injured. The injured were transferred to hospital in Dera Ismail
Khan.
Khalid told reporters that more police contingents were
called out to fight the militants, who took advantage of the darkness to
launch the pre-dawn attack. The police and militants exchanged fire for
nearly two hours and the militants later fled. The attack caused damage
to the police station, the DPO said. Police sources said the militants
had arrived from South Waziristan tribal region. Police sources said
that the militants took a local trader, weapons and police uniform with
them. Police conducted search operation in the area shortly after the
attack.
The attack was carried hours after conflicting media
reports that Taliban militants have declared ceasefire to give a chance
to the talks with the government. Earlier unidentified Taliban
commanders were quoted as saying that they have held preparatory talks
with the government to end the years of violence in Pakistan. The army
and Interior Minister Rehman Malik rejected reports of the talks are
baseless. Malik however said that Taliban have sent some positive
signals for the talks. He asked the Taliban to shun violence before the
talks. Online
