<\/p>\n
\u2022 Pre-dawn assault also leaves six police officials injured DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least 10 police officials were martyred and six others injured in a pre-dawn attack on Monday by dozens of militants on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, as violence escalated ahead of general elections this week.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Dera police said that militants, equipped with sophisticated weapons, attacked the Chaudhwan Police Station in Daraban tehsil at around 3am, adding that cops inside the building retaliated and a gun battle continued for around two and a half hours. The militants escaped after the attack under the cover of darkness.<\/p>\n Senior police officials, however, did not share details of the preliminary investigation into the assault, which came just three days ahead of the general election, scheduled for Feb 8 (Thursday).<\/p>\n \u201cMore than 30 terrorists launched an attack from three directions. There was an exchange of fire for over two and a half hours,\u201d KP police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan told the AFP<\/em> news agency. He disclosed that the attackers briefly seized control of the police station.<\/p>\n Malik Aneesul Hassan, the deputy superintendent of police in Daraban, told Reuters that after entering the building, the militants \u201cused hand grenades, which caused more casualties to the police\u201d.<\/p>\n Officials said the inju\u00adred cops were immediately shifted to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, where the funeral of the martyred was held at the police lines.<\/p>\n Caretaker Khyber Pak\u00adh\u00adtu\u00adnkhwa Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and the KP police chief, among others, attended the funeral prayers.<\/p>\n Speaking on this occasion, the police chief paid rich tribute to the martyred cops for fighting bravely against the militants, adding that their sacrifices for the sake of the country\u2019s stability and the safety of people would not go in vain.<\/p>\n In a video recorded after the funeral, which also went viral on social media, relatives of the martyred police officials questioned the caretaker chief minister and the police chief as to where the militants came from.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did they come from? Did they land from the sky? Who gave them passage \u2014 did I?\u201d a person asked. \u201cWe are being told that we are doing politics [over the bodies],\u201d he said in the video.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Militants use sophisticated weapons, hand grenades<\/strong><\/p>\n