DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least six police personnel, including an additional station house officer (SHO), were martyred on Monday when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a police armoured vehicle in the Gomal area while it was travelling toward Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed.
The martyred officers were identified as SHO Ishaq Ahmed Khan, Sub-Inspector Sher Aslam Khan, Arshad Ali, driver Abdul Majeed, Hazrat Ali and Ehsan Ullah. The attack highlights a renewed surge in militant violence targeting law enforcement in the province.
In a separate incident the same day, another IED blast targeted a police vehicle near Darah Tang Bridge in Lakki Marwat’s Saddar police station jurisdiction. Three police officials, including SHO Razaq Khan, sustained injuries in the explosion. Police said the device had been planted along the roadside. Notably, the district police officer was expected to pass through the same route during routine patrols.
Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot dead a police officer, Ismat, and his cousin in the Kachi Kathgarh area, according to local sources.
The violence followed an overnight militant assault on the Nala Kasho police post in Bannu district. Police successfully repelled the attack after militants opened fire from multiple directions.
Over the past 24 hours, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out intelligence-based operations in Peshawar and Khyber districts, killing six “high-value” terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attacks, paid tribute to the fallen officers, and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
