DSP among 4 police officers martyred in Lakki Marwat blast.

A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and three constables were martyred when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off on the Pirwala Road in Lakki Marwat on Thursday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said.

According to the police, the blast occurred as the personnel were en route to the Saddar police station, where policemen were fending off an attack under way.

"The DSP, along with a heavy contingent, left for the police station after he received information regarding a terrorist attack there.

"On the way, near the Pirwala turn, an IED blast occurred in which DSP Iqbal Momand and constables Ali Marjan, Waqar and Karamatullah were martyred," it added.

Lakki Marwat police spokesperson Shahid Hameed told Dawn.com that terrorists opened fire at the Saddar police station in the early hours today. Resultantly, an exchange of fire took place between the police and the terrorists.

During the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. The wounded men, identified as Head Constable Farooq Shah and constables Amanatullah, Asghar, Sardar Ali and Arif have been moved to the Lakki City Hospital.

A police statement also revealed that the militants were equipped with advanced and heavy weaponry. 'The police were on alert and the attackers had to flee when the police returned fire."

The terrorists fled while taking advantage of the darkness, it added.

Later, funerals of the slain policemen were offered at the Police Line, which was attended by senior police officers.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the attack in a statement.

Talking to Dawn.com, former chief of the National Counter Terrorism Authority, Ihsan Ghani, said that the police are a "soft target" for armed groups.

Ghani, who has also served as chief of the KP police, said that police routinely come under attack as they are on the streets and perform duties anywhere. 'We are now alone in the war on terrorism,' he added.

Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sacrifices of police officers in the war against terrorism were unforgettable and prayed for the speedy recovery of the...