Gunmen armed with rocket-propelled grenades launched a deadly ambush on a police convoy in eastern Punjab province on Thursday. The attack occurred in the Rahim Yar Khan district, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 11 officers. Additionally, seven officers sustained injuries during the assault.
Authorities reported that the officers were targeted while patrolling a deserted area in search of robbers known to operate in the region. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, officials believe that the gunmen were likely robbers rather than militants.
The victims were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. This incident marks a rare occurrence of such a high number of police casualties in a single attack in Pakistan, where violence and militant activities have been on the rise in recent years.
The Rahim Yar Khan district's area of Kacha, where the ambush took place, is notorious for harboring robbers' hideouts along the Indus River. These heavily armed bandits often evade law enforcement in the rural, forested terrain of the region.
According to police reports, the attack unfolded when one of the police vehicles broke down while traversing rainwater accumulated in farm fields. Seizing the opportunity, dozens of bandits launched the assault on the vulnerable officers.
In response to the tragic incident, Pakistani authorities swiftly condemned the attack in Kacha, emphasizing the need for immediate action against the perpetrators. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi all released statements mourning the loss of the officers and honoring them as martyrs.
Prime Minister Sharif also called for the best possible medical care to be provided to the wounded officers. Earlier on the same day, another violent incident occurred in Punjab when gunmen targeted a school van, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuries to six others. No group has claimed responsibility for that attack as well.
