6 including 4 FC personnel martyred in terror attack on Hangu gas plant

HANGU: A horde of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) struck a private exploration company's gas plant in Tall tehsil of Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and martyred at least four Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and two private security guards, police said Tuesday.

Irfan Khan, DSP Tall, told a foreign news agency that terrorists raided the two wells — M-8 and M-10 — with heavy weapons including rocket-propelled grenades.

“The security guards at M-8 repulsed the terrorists’ attack but the casualties took place at M-10," said Khan.

Khan, while talking to Geo News, said the militants also damaged a solar power plant at the gas well before fleeing to adjoining North Waziristan, where they had come from.

A joint search operation is underway in the area, the top cop said. 

Khan also told Geo News that the security personnel fought bravely for two hours and repulsed the attack. 

A foreign news agency reported that up to 50 militants attacked the plant in the Hangu district near the Afghan border.

No group has claimed responsibility.

The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, the foreign wire said.

Various militant factions, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have operated out of remote mountains in the northwest for years, launching attacks on the security forces and infrastructure in their campaign against the state.