RAWALPINDI, Dec 13: Some seven heavily armed persons stormed a passenger train at Tarki Railway Station, some 60 kilometres from here on Friday night, and freed a handcuffed prisoner from police custody after injuring a policeman, official sources said.

The Rawalpindi-bound 7-UP Tezgam coming from Karachi, was attacked when it made an unscheduled stop at the railway station to let another passenger train (rail car) pass at around 6pm.

The attackers, who were wearing masks, stormed compartment no 15, where one handcuffed prisoner, identified as Mohammad Malik, a resident of Gujrat, had been kept amid tight security.

According to police, the accused was involved in a case of illegal possession of weapon, registered with Railway Police Station, Rawalpindi. He was being shifted to Rawalpindi from Gujrat to appear before an anti-terrorist court in connection with the case.

Three policemen of Rawalpindi District police — ASI Amanat Ali, Shahid Ikram and Mohammad Jamil — were guarding the prisoner in the compartment when the attackers overpowered them and snatched their weapons.

Mohammad Zubair, SSP Railway police, told Dawn: “Probably the attackers were travelling in the same train because the circumstances show that they had not been waiting at the railway station as the train was not scheduled to stop at Tarki station.”

The attackers beat the three policemen and also injured Shahid Akram. They resorted to aerial firing after freeing their “man” from police custody and disappeared in the dark, the SSP said.

He said police reinforcement had been sent to the scene and a vast area was being combed to trace out the escaped prisoner.

The train passengers remained unhurt. The injured policeman was shifted to a local hospital, while the other two were taken into custody for questioning. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Moving scenes were witnesses at the Rawalpindi Railway Station when the 7-Up Tezgam arrived at platform no 3 at around 8pm.