By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) - At least two people were injured in attempted attacks on police stations in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province but major damage was averted due to a timely response, an official said amid tensions with Afghanistan.
The attacks were carried out in the provincial capital of Peshawar as well as in the Khyber and Bannu districts, Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Zulfiqar Hameed said in a statement.
He said terrorists used small and heavy weapons, including hand grenades, targeting police installations, but a timely response forced them to retreat.
Meanwhile, authorities imposed a nationwide ban on flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after officials said terrorists used drones to target security forces in various parts of the province.
Tensions between the two neighbors have been running high since late Thursday, when Kabul said it launched “retaliatory operations” along the border after Pakistani airstrikes over the weekend. Pakistan has responded with heavy fire and airstrikes including in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces. The deadly clashes have continued since then.
Both sides have claimed extensive damage and casualties, which Anadolu could not verify independently.
Pakistan has blamed terrorists it says are based in Afghanistan for recent attacks that claimed a number of lives including security forces and police. The Afghan government has denied the accusations.