Militants storm Pakistan police station, nine killed

Jun 25, 2011, 15:45 GMT

Islamabad - Suspected Taliban militants stormed a police station on Saturday, killing seven security officers and taking 20 hostages in north-western Pakistan, police said.

Two suicide bombers also died in the raid, said police.

The attack took place in the Kolachi area of Dera Ismail Khan, about 240 kilometres west of Peshawar, the capital of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial information minister, said eight to 10 militants armed with assault rifles and hand grenades attacked the police station. 'Some of them are wearing suicide vests,' he said.

'These terrorists have taken hostage around 20 policemen,' said Hussain, adding that the gun battle was still on between security forces and the militants.

Witness Mohammad Yasin, a local journalist, said the militants fired three rockets at an armored police vehicle that was attempting to enter the police station.

Dunya television reported that the militants positioned themselves on the roof, from where they were firing at security forces who had surrounded the area.

Television footages showed military troops heading towards the building and clouds of smoke rising from inside the police station.

Dera Ismael Khan is located close to the South Waziristan tribal district, where Pakistani security forces carried out a major operation against Taliban last year. Islamabad claims that the area has been cleared of the militants but regular attacks on troops continue.

Saturday's attack is the latest in the terror campaign that al-Qaeda and its linked Taliban groups have intensified since Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in the north-western city of Abbottabad.