DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Three officials of the customs department were killed after assailants riding motorcycles opened fire on them on Dera-Zhob road near Kulachi area on Monday.

Police said the gunmen attacked an anti-smuggling squad of the customs department during routine patrol near Kulachi and escaped.

The attack left two customs officials, identified as Farooq Jan, a resident of Tank, and Fahad Bashir, a resident of Karak, dead on the spot while the third, Farooq Khan, a resident of Lakki Marwat, died on way to hospital.

Soon after the incident, a contingent of police, led by DPO retired Capt Najam-ul-Hasnain Liaquat, reached the spot and cordoned off the area to launch a search operation for perpetrators involved in the terrorist act.

A Rescue 1122 team took bodies of the victims to Dera district headquarters hospital and later handed them over to relatives.

According to an official statement issued in Peshawar, three Customs Department officials lost their lives while performing counter-smuggling duty on Dera-Zhob road near Kulachi.

TTP man killed

The police and security forces shot dead an alleged commander of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan carrying a head money of Rs3 million during a joint operation on Dera-Daraban road on Sunday evening.

A police official said that the terrorist, identified as Sheikh Waqas alias Khalid, was wanted by police in several cases, including targeted killing of dozens of people and attacks on police checkposts.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2021