SHO killed, nine injured in twin suicide bombings on police stations in Manshera

Mansehra, Feb 20 (ANI): Suicide bombers struck two police stations in North West Frontier province of Pakistan on Saturday, killing the station house officer and wounding nine others.

Two police stations in Balakot and Mansehra were rocked with suicide bombings killing an SHO of Balakot police station, Geo News reported Saturday.

Police official Gul Zareen said the suicide attacks started within minutes of each other in the district of Mansehra.

Local police chief Khalil Khan died and two officers and two passers-by were wounded when an attacker blew himself up inside the police station in Mansehra, he said.

In the second attack, a pair of attackers stormed another police station about 15 miles away in the town of Balakot, triggering a shootout that left one of the attackers dead.

Two officers were wounded in the Balakot shooting. Zareen said the slain attacker was wearing a suicide jacket.

According to police sources, a suspected man tried to enter the Mansehra police station; but, on being stopped for checking, he blew him up, injuring the personnel on duty at gate.

Balakot police station was housed in a makeshift shanty after its building was ravaged in a devastating earthquake. The injured police have been shifted to Civil police station. (ANI)