Gunmen shot dead two Pakistani policemen in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Gunmen shot and killed two policemen patrolling a residential area in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, the interior minister and police said Friday.

No one claimed responsibility for the Thursday night attack in the Shamas Colony neighborhood. Previous such attacks in Islamabad and elsewhere have been claimed by domestic militant groups like the Pakistani Taliban. According to a police statement, officers have launched search efforts to arrest the killers.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed condemned the attack, and ordered a probe.

In a video statement, he said such attacks were increasing and efforts were underway to make Islamabad a safe zone. The capital shares a border with the populous Punjab province, as well as the countrys northwest passage to Afghanistan.