On 15 December 2023, militant attacks were launched against the Pakistan Army and local police in Tank, Pakistan. Ansar ul-Islam claimed responsibility for the attack. The attacks occurred at a police station in Tank District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[1]
| 2023 Tank district attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
| Location | Tank, Tank District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Date | 15 December 2023 |
| Target | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Pakistan Army |
Attack type | Mass shooting; gun battle |
| Deaths | 5 Pakistani personnel 5 militants |
| Injured | 3 wounded |
| Perpetrators | Ansar ul-Islam |
| Defenders | Local police Pakistan Army |
Attack
editOn the morning of 15 December 2023, militants attacked a police station in Tank district however were repelled by local police, with the militants engaged in a gun battle for hours with the local police.[1][2] The attack just come days after the Daraban police station attack, Pakistan's deadliest terrorist attack in 2023. Local police chief Iftikhar Shah stated that 5 police officers and 5 militants were killed in the exchange, with another 3 wounded.[3] In a statement, Shah stated, "Our force on guard engaged them in a gun battle for hours,". Akhtar Hayat, chief of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police announced that the remaining militants involved in the attacks were being searched for, saying, "We are searching for the rest of them, including two who suffered wounds,".[4] On the same day, the Pakistani Taliban launched an attack on a Pakistani army base near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with 2 security personnel killed in an attack in the Khyber District, and another 7 injured.[5]
Perpetrators
editAnsar ul-Islam, a relatively newly active militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack as their first attack.[4] The attack came days after the Daraban police station attack.
Surge of attacks
editThere has been a surge in terror attacks in Pakistan in 2023 amid a resurgence of the Pakistani Taliban and heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the Pakistani government accusing Afghanistan of harboring militants and with militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks, although the Afghan government denies this.[6][7] The attack also comes amidst the mass deportation of Afghans by the Pakistani government.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Police and soldiers killed as more violence flares in northwest Pakistan". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Khan, Tahir (15 December 2023). "3 cops martyred, 5 terrorists killed after police headquarters comes under attack in KP's Tank City". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "5 officers and 5 militants die after attacks on police office and 2 army posts in northwest Pakistan". AP News. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ a b Mehsud, Saud (15 December 2023). "Militant attack kills three Pakistani police officers - officials". Reuters. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "Five security personnel martyred in KP terror attacks". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "Focus - Thousands of Afghans leave Pakistan ahead of deportation deadline". France 24. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Dawn.com (13 April 2023). "Khawaja Asif warns of striking terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "Pakistan begins mass deportation of Afghan refugees - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.