ATTOCK: A shepherd laid down his life while averting a suicide attack on the Mankor security post in Attock’s Jand area on Monday, potentially saving dozens of lives, District Police Officer Sardar Mavarhan Khan confirmed.

Talking to the media, the DPO said the incident occurred near a key security post on the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border, located in Jand tehsil, some 70km from Attock city.

The local shepherd was identified as Liaqat and a former employee of Pakistan Railways.

According to witnesses, Liaqat noticed a suspicious individual in the area while grazing his goats nearby. He confronted the suspect after sensing something unusual about the man’s behaviour.

As he approached, the witnesses said that the suspect detonated the suicide vest, causing a powerful explosion and claiming Liaqat’s life.

Shortly after the blast, officials rushed to the scene, and authorities cordoned off the area. The forensic teams also began collecting evidence from the blast site.

Meanwhile, DPO Mavarhan and Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza were also present on the scene, while authorities started probing the incident from all angles to determine the identity of the attacker and his facilitators.

According to officials, the post in question is part of a broader nationwide network of inter-provincial joint check posts established by the government to combat smuggling, hoarding, drug trafficking, and the movement of militants.

It is usually manned by personnel from the civil armed forces, Federal Board of Revenue, Anti-Narcotics Force, and other provincial agencies.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the district police officer’s name was Sardar Marwan Khan. It is, in fact, Sardar Mavarhan Khan. The error is regretted.