At least 11 police officers have been killed during an ambush by armed attackers in eastern Pakistan, according to local officials.
The attackers were armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), police said, and other officers were injured.
The convoy of officers was targeted in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, in the Rahim Yar Khan district.
The convoy was passing through a deserted area as part of an operation targeting robbers in the region, Punjabi police said in a statement.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks by militants in recent years, but such a high number of police casualties in a single attack is rare.
Pakistani security forces often carry out operations against bandits in the eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces, where they hide in rural, forested areas.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denounced the attack in a statement, expressing his deep sorrow and describing the slain officers as martyrs.
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