Islamist Militants Kill 6 People in Pakistan

Pakistani police revealed today that Islamic militants stormed a gas and oil extraction facility in the northwest of the country, killing four police officers and two private guards. Irfan Khan, a police official, told Reuters that "the attack occurred late last night and lasted for several hours into the early hours of today, in the Hangu area near the border with Afghanistan." The police stated that "the gunmen targeted two wells using heavy weapons, including rocket launchers." Khan explained that "the security guards at well M-8 repelled the attackers, but casualties occurred at well M-10." He noted that "the militants also destroyed a solar power station at the electricity generation facility before fleeing to the Waziristan region." The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Several militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban, have been active in the remote mountains of northwestern Pakistan for years. These groups have launched attacks on security forces and infrastructure facilities in their war against the state.