Pakistan: Militants Kill Six Police Officers

More than 100 militants armed with guns and rockets have attacked a police checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing six officers in a gun battle lasting several hours.

Among the dead was a senior police officer who was beheaded.

Some 12 other officers were injured, while several are still missing following the violent attack in Matani, a small town around 12 miles from Peshawar, on Sunday night.

Other reports said two officers were beheaded during the assault.


Smouldering vehicles at the scene of the attack
The militants arrived armed with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades and assault rifles.

The checkpoint and four police vehicles were torched, according to Mohammad Nabi, an officer in charge of a paramilitary checkpoint a few miles away.

He arrived at the scene to find the site ablaze.


Officers retrieve weapons and other items from the premises
"All those who had survived were outside, and four or five dead bodies were lying there," he said.

"One was the SP (Superintendent of Police), two policemen, and the rest were our FC (Frontier Constabulary) personnel," he added.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.