10 Pak Cops Killed, 6 Hurt In Attack On Police Station Ahead Of Feb 8 Polls

Ten Pakistani police personnel were killed in an attack on a police station on Monday.

Ten Pakistani police personnel were killed in an attack on a police station on Monday.

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Ten Pakistani police personnel were killed and six were injured in a late-night attack on a police station in the Chodwan police station in the Dera Ismail Khan city  on Monday, an official said as reported by the Dawn. The attack precedes the crucial February 8 general elections in the country. The incident has been confirmed to the Pakistan Daily by Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasir Mehmood.

Pakistan has been battling security concerns in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan regions which witnessed multiple attacks over the past few days.

Last week the Election Commission of Pakistan and security agencies had taken stock of the situation on ground and said that the polls would be held on time.

A senior commander told news agency AFP that dozens of militants attacked Chaudhwan police station early Monday leading to the deaths of at least 10 officers just days ahead of the general election that has already seen dozens of attacks on candidates and party supporters. "More than 30 terrorists launched an attack from three directions. There was an exchange of fire for over two-and-a-half hours," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur told the news agency.

In the early hours of the morning, at approximately 3 am (local time), a group of militants launched an assault on the police station inthe Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Reuters reported. According to statements from local law enforcement officials, the attackers initiated their assault with sniper fire before infiltrating the premises.

"After entering the building, the terrorists used hand grenades which caused more casualties to the police," Malik Anees ul Hassan, the deputy superintendent of police in Draban told the news agency.

The motives behind the attack remain unclear at present, and authorities are yet to ascertain whether it is linked to the ongoing election proceedings.

This incident adds to a series of violent episodes in the region. Earlier in the week, a candidate for the national assembly was fatally shot in a separate incident in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while on the same day, a political leader was killed in an attack on his party's election office in Balochistan province.