PESHAWAR: Unidentified assailants gunned down a police constable guarding a mosque on Ormar Road during Friday prayers in the suburbs of Peshawar, police said.

The constable was identified as Farooq, who belonged to Gulozi area of Peshawar. He was on contract and deputed at Chamkani police station.

An official of the police station said that the constable was busy checking people outside Jamia Usmania at Tauheedabad when unknown armed men targeted him.

The police said that three attackers stopped near the mosque, opened fire on the policeman and escaped on a motorcycle. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has condemned the targeted killing of constable Farooq. He announced a relief of Rs5 lakh for his heirs.

In another incident, riders’ squad at Pando also came under attack, but the police personnel escaped unhurt.

An official said that one of the attackers had been arrested. However, he avoided to disclose his identity.

Similarly, three rockets fired from unknown locations landed in different areas of Peshawar early on Friday, which caused injuries to three people.

The rockets fell near Said Anwar Medical Center, Dabgari Garden, Shafiq Quarters in Gulberg and Jahangir Korona Saddar.

In another attack on police, one alleged attacker was killed near Inqilab police post in Badbher while one police constable Hamad Khan was injured.

An official of the police station told Dawn that the attacker had opened fire on the police van. In retaliation, police killed him and recovered a Kalashnikov from his possession. He was also wanted to police in another criminal case.

Also, another youth on way to a mosque for Friday prayer was killed in Gulbahar. Police said they had arrested the attacker and recovered a pistol from him.

An official of the police station said that Siddique Zada of Maryamzai was on way to mosque when armed man identified as Kamran of Shaikh Mohammadi area opened fire on him.

He was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital, but did not survive.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2014