MARDAN: A policeman was martyred when a bullet hit him during exchange of fire between rival groups in the Gujrat locality here on Friday, officials said.

Officials of the Chora police station said that a police team rushed to the spot when they got information about the exchange of fire between the rivals to maintain the law and order situation in the area.

The officials said the groups did not stop firing even after the arrival of the police on the spot. They claimed that a fire shot by a member of one of the groups namely Ameen, hit police constable Shehzad Khan, leaving him critically injured.

The officials said the constable succumbed to injuries while being taken to a nearby hospital.

The funeral prayers of the policemen were offered in the grounds of the police lines.

Mardan division police chief Yaseen Farooq, district police officer Dr Zahidullah, deputy commissioner Arif Habib, former district nazim Himayatullah Mayar and a large number of police officials and local elders attended the funeral.

Later, body of the deceased was taken to his native Chargali village in the Rustam city for burial.

The Chora police registered FIRs against members of both the groups and began raids to arrest them.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2021