TAXILA: Four suspects were reportedly killed by their own accomplices’ gunfire in Attock’s Hazro area during an encounter with the police.

A spokesperson for the police said the Hazro police were transporting Noor Wali Khan, a suspected terrorist accused of killing Constable Qadeer Khan, from Peshawar for further investigation.

Near Bahadur Khan Union Council, five armed individuals on motorcycles ambushed the police team, opening fire and managing to free Wali Khan.

Following the attack, the police pursued the suspects to Pirzai, where another gunfight reportedly erupted.

During the exchange, Noor Wali Khan and three of his accomplices were fatally wounded by what authorities claim was “friendly fire” from their own associates.

The injured suspects were rushed to the hospital but succumbed to their wounds en route. Police have launched a search operation to track down two remaining suspects, vowing to bring them to justice. Authorities have collected forensic evidence from the scene.

Meanwhile, the identity of the three other suspects has not been revealed so far.

According to the police accounts, no police personnel were injured in the incident.

The spokesman claimed that the suspects were involved in killing a policeman and injuring others critically. He said that on February 7, constables Qadeer Khan and Nusrat Khan were deputed at a check post in Hattain and were on patrolling duty when they intercepted three suspicious persons riding on a motorcycle.

As soon as they disembarked from the motorcycle, the suspects opened indiscriminate firing at the policemen, killing Qadeer on the spot and injuring Nusrat critically.

Police said the assailants were able to escape from the scene successfully. Soon after the incident, senior police officers also rushed to the spot. A case was registered on behalf of the state and a search operation was conducted to arrest the fleeing suspects.

It may be mentioned here that two robbery suspects identified as Nauman Khan and Amir Saeed were killed in a “shootout” with police while their accomplices escaped near Mianwala forest in the limits of Pindigheb police station on February 21.

In a similar shootout, another suspect was killed by his accomplices in an encounter with the police within the limits of the Hazro police station on February 18. Moreover, a murder suspect was also shot and injured allegedly “by the firing of his own accomplices during an exchange of fire” in village Langrial in the limits of Pindigheb police station on February 7, according to the police.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025