LAKKI MARWAT: A policeman escorting a polio team was shot at and injured in an attack by unknown miscreants in Bannu district on Tuesday.

An official said that the incident occurred near the basic health unit in Lalozai area in the limits of Basyakhel police station.

He identified the injured cop as Abdul Hamid. He added that his colleague, Mohammad Sadiq, remained unhurt in the attack.

The official said that the assailants, who were riding a motorcycle, managed to escape from the crime scene. He said that the injured policeman was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Later, he was referred to a Peshawar hospital due to his critical condition.

Following the incident, the police launched a search for the miscreants after lodging a case against them on the complaint of Mohammad Sadiq.

Separately, unknown gunmen killed a trader in the township area of Bannu on Tuesday.

The police said that two armed men entered the shop of Shakir Khan, a resident of Bezankhel, and opened fire on him. They said that the trader dealing in mobile phones received serious injuries and was rushed to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. His body was later handed over to relatives after postmortem.

The police launched an investigation into the murder after registration of case.

In another incident, Umar Ayaz, 21, was killed and his brother, Abdullah, 33, injured when two motorcyclists opened fire on them in Shagai Kallay area of Bannu. The police said that the victims had no enmity with anyone.

They said that the deceased and the injured were taken to the DHQ Hospital, and later the body was handed over to relatives after autopsy.

The police said that they had registered a case against unknown killers on the complaint of injured, Abdullah.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023