LAHORE: Two policemen were martyred in a suicide blast at a checkpost in the jurisdiction of Punjab’s Bhakkar district on Tuesday evening, according to officials.

Bhakkar District Police Officer (DPO) Shahzad Rafiq told Dawn that a suicide attack was carried out near the Dajil checkpost.

He said that two policemen were martyred and one was injured, while three passersby were also injured in the blast.

“The suicide attacker came near the check post and blew himself up, while we were conducting a search operation in the area to maintain law and order,” he added.

The deceased policemen were identified as Muhammad Faheem and Muhammad Shehbaz, and the injured as Arshad. The identities of the injured passersby have not yet been ascertained.

The injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, DPO Rafiq said.

In a statement, President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the terrorist attack. He expressed grief at the deaths of the officials and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.

He also prayed for the swift recovery of the police personnel injured in the attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of police personnel in the attack, Radio Pakistan reported.

He said the sacrifices rendered by the police in the war against terrorism would not be allowed to go in vain, and reiterated the government’s resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz strongly condemned the attack on the police checkpost. In a statement, she paid tribute to the martyred policemen and saluted their sacrifice in the line of duty.

The chief minister expressed heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families. She directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured policeman and others wounded in the incident.

The development comes on the same day six law enforcement personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were martyred after a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district.

It is worth mentioning that the Dajil checkpost is at the border of Dera Ismail Khan and Bhakkar.