MIANWALI: On the night of Jan 31, a group of heavily armed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants attacked a police station.
Why it matters:
The attack comes just one day after a devastating suicide bombing in Peshawar killed over 100 people. Authorities claim that the attack has been repelled. The incident is noteworthy because it is the first time terrorists have targeted a police station in Punjab. Previously, they had only targeted check points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering Afghanistan.
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The attack:
Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar confirmed that TTP claimed responsibility for the attack. Along with Lahore police and the Punjab CTD, he said that police units from three different regions of Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Sargodha arrived for a “great operation” against the banned group.
According to reports on social media, the attack got underway at 9 p.m. when militants opened fire with automatic weapons on the Makkarwal police station.
What you need to know:
The Punjab IG verified that no police officers were injured during the attack. The official continued, “Makarwal in the Isakhel tehsil is a predominantly hilly area known for coal mines.”
According to the senior officer, the region is routinely used by smugglers transporting illegal goods, weapons, and drugs on foot from Darra Adam Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The terrain also permits militants and terrorists to operate freely.
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