Islamist militants stormed a natural gas and oil production plant in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least four policemen and two security guards, the Reuters news agency reported, citing local police reports.
The attack by up to 50 militants took place at the Mol Pakistan Oil & Gas plant in Hangu district, near the Afghan border, police official Irfan Khan said.
No Mol employees were present at the wells operated by the company in Pakistan, where the security forces were attacked. Production was temporarily stopped by remote access and the wells were placed in safety mode until the on-site official investigation is completed, Mol said on Tuesday.
According to the oil company, the attack took place near two wells in the TAL Block operated by Mol.
Six members of the security forces guarding the area – Pakistani soldiers and contract security guards – were killed, but no Mol employee was present at the scene of the attack.
Mol reported that the attack took place away from the production area and that the other wells are producing without disruption and that the incident will not affect Mol's production in Pakistan.
According to the announcement of the Pakistani authorities on Tuesday, the facility of the Mol Pakistan Oil and Gas Company belonging to the Mol group, located in the Hangu district near the Afghan border, was attacked by Islamist extremists.
Source: hirado.hu
Featured image: MOL
