QUETTA - Unidentified armed assailants shot dead four policemen in a ‘targeted killing’ incident on Sariab Road here on Saturday morning.
According to police, the deceased cops were on their routine patrolling when gunmen sprayed volley of bullets on them.
Resultantly, all the four policemen were killed on the spot and assailants who were riding motorbike fled from the scene.
Police and personnel of Frontier Corps rushed to the spot soon after the incident and cordoned off the area. The slain policemen were moved to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital for medico-legal formalities where they were identified as Constable Abdul Kareem, Constable Raza, Constable Hafeezur Rehman and Constable Sarfaraz.
“The police officials were patrolling near railway track on the request of railway officials when they were attacked and killed by assailants,” said a senior police official, adding, the incident appeared to be a case of target killing. Police and FC personnel started a manhunt after the incident to trace out the culprits behind the killings, he added. Following the incident, security was beefed up and law enforcement agencies started search of suspicious vehicles and people. The funeral prayers of slain policemen were offered at Police Lines Quetta and later the bodies were handed over to their heirs for burial.
It merits mentioning here that Sariab locality is considered to be very sensitive area of the city where dozens of people, including security personnel have been shot dead and attacked with remote-controlled bombs in recent months.
Earlier, a bomb blast outside a madrissa (seminary) in Satellite Town area of Quetta on Thursday had killed 16 people, including five children and wounded more than 40 people at a degree-distribution ceremony amongst students who had memorised the Holy Qurab by heart.