Two Pakistan intelligence officers gunned down in Punjab province

A gunman has shot and killed two officers with Pakistan’s intelligence service outside a roadside restaurant in the east of the country, police and security officials said, Qazet.az reports.

Murtaza Bhatti, a senior police officer in the Punjab province’s district of Khanewal, said the attack on Tuesday took place as the two officers were parking their vehicle.

No one has claimed responsibility for killing the officers, who were known for arresting members of the Pakistani Taliban and other armed groups. They were also known for their expertise in investigating and solving complicated cases, including gun and bomb attacks in Pakistan.

Officials said one of the slain officers was the director of the provincial counterterrorism department, which has played a key role in arresting members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as Pakistani Taliban.

The armed group has stepped up attacks on security forces in recent months after unilaterally ending a ceasefire with the Pakistan government in November.

The Pakistani Taliban are separate but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of NATO and United States troops after 20 years of conflict.