DERA ISMAIL KHAN – Islamic State fighters and the Pakistani Taliban on Monday said they killed a police official in northwest Pakistan, the second attack in the south Asian nation claimed by the Middle East-based militant group in just over a month.
The killings follow an announcement by the military last month that it had stemmed Islamic State’s attempts to expand in Pakistan, after arresting more than 300 people suspected of plotting attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets.
Akbar Ali, a member of the Special Branch, or police intelligence wing in Charsadda, about 20 km (12 miles) from the provincial capital of Peshawar, was shot and killed at a bus stop, said the district police chief, Sohail Khalid.
“Two unknown motorcycle riders opened fire on police sub inspector Akbar Ali, and he died on the spot,” Khalid addded.
The Pakistani Taliban also claimed responsibility for the killing, said its spokesman Muhammad Khurasani.
“We accept responsibility for killing the Special Branch sub inspector in Charsadda,” he said in a statement.