Three personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) were martyred, and two others injured in a gun battle with terrorists late Wednesday night in Bannu, according to officials.
Bannu’s Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan issued a statement confirming that the exchange of fire occurred in the Spin Tangi area of Chashmi, Bannu. The fallen officers were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Benyamin Khan, Constable Inam Khan, and Constable Musawar. The injured constables were Wafid Khan and Imran.
The gun battle resulted in the deaths of two terrorists, with two others injured. Their bodies and the wounded were taken by their associates. A significant cache of weapons, including ammunition, IEDs (improvised explosive devices), and hand grenades, was recovered by police from the terrorists.
Following the attack, RPO Khan, Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kalachi, and CTD Superintendent of Police visited the CTD hospital to check on the condition of the injured personnel and ensure they received the best possible medical care.
RPO Khan pledged that all available resources would be used to assist the injured officers and emphasized that the sacrifices of the martyred personnel would not be forgotten. He vowed to avenge their deaths, stating that the police would relentlessly pursue and engage the terrorists.
A large contingent of Bannu police and CTD officers has cordoned off the area and launched extensive search operations, including raids on known terrorist hideouts.
Later, funeral prayers for the martyred officers were held at Bannu Police Lines, attended by senior officials, including CTD Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Shaukat Abbas, RPO Khan, DPO Kalachi, Bannu Commissioner, military representatives, and the families of the fallen officers. AIG Abbas reaffirmed the police force’s resolve, stating that terrorists would not succeed in demoralizing them, and they would continue to fight and eliminate these threats.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred officers. He commended the courage and dedication of the CTD personnel and assured that their sacrifices would not be in vain.
This tragic incident follows a series of recent attacks, including the martyrdom of two CTD officers in March during a gun attack in Kohat, and another CTD officer’s death in January in Mirali Bazaar.
