Two policemen were killed in a firing incident at a house in Hayatabad. Police denied the claim of ISIS
It was early in the night, people were preparing for bed in Hayatabad, the busiest area of Peshawar city, when suddenly there were sounds of gunfire and shortly after, it was learned that two policemen had been killed.
According to police, gunfire could be heard for some time after the incident. The firing at this time of night spread fear among the people.
The house in Hayatabad where the firing took place is located very close to the border of Khyber tribal district.
The slain policemen were ASI Riaz and Constable Jaffar, whose funeral prayers have been offered.
Police say they went there to arrest the fugitives and reportedly arrested a man from the house.
Three different positions
Police said the operation was carried out on a tip-off about the presence of fugitives in the house.
Residents, on the other hand, said they did not know the police were outside, but were told to deliver pizza from outside the door, and when unknown individuals entered their home, they opened fire in self-defense.
The third position is that of the banned extremist organization ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Police stand: No evidence of ISIS involvement
Peshawar police officer Ahsan Abbas, when asked if ISIS had claimed responsibility for the incident, said the investigation so far had found no evidence that ISIS members were involved.
He told the BBC that the incident was being investigated and the real facts would come to light, but said that initially there was no evidence of ISIS involvement in the incident.
Police say operations are underway against criminals in Peshawar and there were reports of fugitives in the house, which was raided.
A report lodged at the Tatara Police Station in Hayatabad said that the police personnel of Sharqi Jor Police Station Town raided the police station in Bannu district on the information of the presence of wanted accused Hamidullah.
The report said that as soon as the policemen entered the house, they suddenly started firing at the police, injuring two policemen who were rushed to the hospital.
The report further said that more personnel were called from the police station and one person was arrested on the spot.
Ahsan Abbas, a Peshawar Capital City police officer, told the BBC the operation was part of an ongoing crackdown on criminals and fugitives in the city.
He said that a 9mm pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the arrested person after firing on the police. A rifle and ammunition were also recovered from the house.
He said that the policemen had gone in their uniforms and while looking at the police, firing took place from the house and after the incident, firing also took place from the roof of the house.
He said that it was being investigated regularly and the real facts would be known.
In response to a question, Ahsan Abbas said that the police of any police station in Peshawar city can take action anywhere and for this all police stations were contacted.
"Police were trying to enter the house under the pretext of delivering pizza."
The incident raised questions after residents of the house alleged that men in police uniforms were trying to enter the house under the pretext of delivering pizza for a chador, in which they defended themselves. I opened fire and two policemen were killed.
The residents said that they have personal enmity and kidnapping attempts have been made before.
A member of the family declined to comment when contacted, but the brother of the arrested suspect, who is an assistant professor at the medical college, told a local journalist that his brother was a university student. Is studying law at the University of London.
He claimed that when a voice came from the name of the person delivering the pizza to his house, his brother found out that someone had ordered pizza, to which everyone said that no one had ordered pizza.
He said that despite this, when the door was opened at the insistence of the outside, two persons wrapped in chador were trying to enter and they had a weapon which was fired again in their defense.
The brother of the arrested accused said that there is enmity in Bannu district and attempts were made to kidnap his brother in 2007 and 2017 while last year his uncle and two cousins were killed.
He claimed that there was no official vehicle with the police personnel and no lady officer and no warrant. A cousin of the arrested accused told a local journalist that he had taken CCTV camera footage with him when he left.
CCPO Ahsan Abbas said that according to his information, there was no evidence of attempted kidnapping and that the police had gone to arrest the fugitives.