Pakistan: 3 traffic cops shot dead in gun attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

“Three traffic policemen travelling in the mobile van were martyred on the spot in the attack,” District Police Officer Abdul Samad Khan told Dawn, adding that the attackers fled the scene.

Khan said the assailants also took away the vehicle used by the policemen after the attack. However, the vehicle was later recovered.

Two passersby were also injured in the attack and were shifted to a hospital for treatment, Khan said.

“Police have sealed the roads and other possible routes, including pedestrian tracks, to prevent the attackers from escaping,” the DPO told Dawn.

He said efforts were underway to trace those responsible for the attack.

The identities of the attackers and the motive behind the incident remain unclear.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing persistent security challenges. According to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), mainland KP recorded 54 terrorist attacks last month, a 50 per cent increase compared with July, Dawn News reported.