2 Policemen Killed in Pakistan Near Afghanistan Border, 6 Wounded

Quetta, Pakistan: Two policemen were killed and six injured, including a girl, in attacks in northern Pakistan near Afghanistan on Saturday when local Taliban militants agreed to a month-long ceasefire after speaking with the government, police said.

The policemen were killed by an improvised explosive device near the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where they were stationed in a reservoir.

“The two policemen were killed in an improvised explosive device explosion that took place at 10 am (0500 GMT),” Abdul Samad Khan, a senior police officer from the Bajaur district, told OkeyNews.

The other attack took place on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, where a policeman and five were injured, including a girl and three women.

The explosives were placed on a motorcycle against a police patrol in the area, said Ali Raza, a high-ranking police officer.

A local Taliban spokesman denied responsibility for the attacks and said the militant group will abide by the ceasefire.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban, who regained control of that country in August.

The TTP has fought for years to overthrow the Islamabad government and rule the South Asian nation of 220 million with its own brand of Islamic Sharia law.

There have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to reach peace agreements in the past. The latest talks began after the victory of the Afghan Taliban.

The two sides have been meeting across the border in Afghanistan, with the help of Afghan Taliban leaders.