LANDIKOTAL: Within few weeks, militants again targeted the residence of a police officer with an explosive device in Landikotal, apparently over extortion demands, police said on Friday.
Additional Station House Officer( SHO) of Landikotal police station Azmat Wali Shinwari told this scribe that his house had been attacked for the second time within a few weeks. “Earlier, unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade at my hujra (male guest house), and now they planted an explosive device outside my home,” he said.
He said the explosion occurred around midnight on Saturday night at 12:38am and was heard across the area. However, no one was near the gate at the time, preventing any casualties.
The attack highlights the growing security threats faced by law enforcement officers in the region. Militants have repeatedly used violent tactics to instill fear and pressure officials into compliance.
Despite these threats, Azmat Wali remained committed to his duty, refusing to be intimidated by extortion demands or life-threatening attacks. The use of both grenade and explosive devices in consecutive assaults indicates a well-coordinated attempt to target him and his family.
Azmat Wali revealed that he had been receiving threatening phone calls from Afghanistan-based and Ufone cellular network SIMs. The callers demanded Rs,5 million in extortion and pressuring him to resign from his police job.
The police officer said his brother and nephew also received similar phone calls threatened and conveying him the militants’ message. He said the involvement of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the investigation suggests the seriousness of the case, as authorities seek to trace the perpetrators behind the attacks.
Tge police officer said on January 16, militants had also targeted his residence by throwing a hand grenade at the front. Despite repeated threats and attacks, Azmat Wali vowed to continue serving as a police officer.
“I will not bow down before anyone and will continue, my job to serve the citizens” he asserted. The threats made through phone calls from Afghan and local SIM cards further underline the cross-border nature of militancy, making it challenging to track those responsible.
Law enforcement agencies were working to curb such threats but the repeated targeting of officers raises concerns about their safety and the need for stronger security measures in the area.
