LAKKI MARWAT: Two soldiers travelling in a passenger coach from Karak were kidnapped by terrorists in the Kurrum Par area of Lakki Marwat district on Friday.

Official sources said one of the soldiers managed to escape his captors, while the other was taken to an unknown location.

Armed men had closed a rural road and were checking vehicles near Wanda Gulapa area, located in the Dadiwala police limits, bordering Karak and Mianwali districts, sources said, adding that the residents of Shah Slaim and other areas of Karak district use the rural roads of Lakki Marwat to travel to Mianwali and other parts of Punjab.

Sources said the soldiers were on their way to Mian­wali from Karak in the passenger coach. “The terrorists alighted them from the vehicle and were shifting them towards an unknown place when one of the soldiers escaped from their captivity,” they added.

Cop martyred

Separately, a police official was martyred in a gun attack in Bannu on Friday.

Constable Kamran Khan of the district security branch (DSB) was performing duties in the Mamashkhel area when armed motorcyclists shot him dead before speeding away, a police official said.

After the shooting, a large police contingent reached the spot and launched a search for the attackers. However, no arrests were made till the filing of this report on Friday evening.

After medico-legal formalities at the DHQ hospital, the body was taken to the police lines where a police contingent presented a salute of respect to their fallen colleague.

Regional Police Officer Imran Shahid, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Khan, DPO Ziauddin Ahmed and relatives attended his funeral. The police and administration officials also placed floral wreaths on his coffin and said that his supreme sacrifice would be written in golden words.

RPO Shahid praised the official for his bravery and laying down his life in the line of duty. He said that the ultimate sacrifice offered by the cop would not go in vain as cowardly acts by fleeing terrorists could not shatter the strong resolve of the police force against the menace of terrorism.

He assured the relatives of the martyr that the culprits would be brought to justice soon.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2025