Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has warned of further incidents of terrorism, following the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s attack targeting two policemen in Islamabad last night.
“This was not an incident of dacoity or theft. Terrorists opened fire on [police officials]. This is a signal for us that terror incidents have started taking place in Islamabad,” he said while attending funeral prayers for the slain officer.
On Monday night, two militants on motorcycles opened gunfire at a police check-point in Islamabad, killing one police officer and injuring two more. The gunmen were killed by police in the exchange. The TTP has taken responsibility for the incident through a statement on Twitter from TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani.
The interior minister confirmed that a ‘sleeper cell’ had been identified by way of the terrorists’ motorcycle, adding that Islamabad police and law enforcement are on ‘alert.’
Police authorities confirmed the identity of the deceased police officer as Head Constable Munawwar. Officers Amin and Rashid were also injured in the attack.
Last year, Pakistan experienced a 56 per cent increase in violent, militant attacks from the year prior. At least 388 people died and another 600 were wounded in terrorist attacks in Pakistan in 2021, according to Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
Additionally, in November 2021, at least three policemen were killed by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) rioters near Sadhoke, Gujranwala.
