PESHAWAR: Unidentified assailants shot dead two traffic policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swabi district on Friday, as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility of the attack.
District Police Officer (DPO) Swabi Javed Iqbal told DawnNews that two traffic policemen namely Gohar Ali and Arshad were performing their duties at Aman chowk when unidentified armed riders opened fire on them, killing the duo on the spot.
"A search operation is underway in adjoining areas to find the the attackers who managed to flee after killing the two policemen," said the DPO.
TTP claimed responsibility of the attack through an email sent by their central spokesperson Muhammad Khurasani.
He wrote, "the attack is in retaliation to the death of TTP member Abbas alias Shoukat, who was killed in police custody in Swabi a few days back".
Related: Traffic police personnel protest against killings
The recent wave of deadly attacks against traffic policemen has claimed the lives of nearly a dozen personnel across the country within past few months.
Unarmed and without any regular policing training, traffic constables were later given automated rifles, pistols and bulletproof vests for self-defence but only in the badly-hit province of Sindh.
However, the move has not shown to be effective as attackers are still finding traffic policemen a soft target since they are busy in traffic management at crowded intersections amid hundreds of vehicles.
Later, police authorities in Karachi sought the assistance of Rangers to provide security to traffic police personnel in the metropolis following consistent attacks.
