Six police officers killed in bomb attack in northwest Pakistan

At least six police officers were killed on Monday when a roadside bomb targeted an armored police vehicle in Tank district, a northwestern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, local authorities said.

Officials from the Police Control Room told Nukta that the officers were on a routine patrol within the jurisdiction of Gomal Police Station, approximately 25 kilometers from Kot Wali, when a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) detonated.

“The blast killed six police personnel, including a station house officer (SHO) and an assistant sub-inspector,” police added.

Rescue teams were dispatched immediately, recovering the bodies of SHO Ishaq Ahmed Khan, Assistant Sub-Inspector Sher Aslam Khan, driver Abdul Majeed and constables Ihsanullah, Arshad Ali, and Hazrat Ali.

Authorities have since deployed additional forces, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend those responsible.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack, describing it as a deeply tragic incident. “The sacrifices of the martyred police officers would not go in vain and enemies of peace will not achieve their malicious objectives,” he said.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also paid tribute to the fallen officers, noting that they were on the front line of the fight against terrorism and that their sacrifices for lasting peace would not be forgotten.

Zulfiqar Hameed, KP’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), termed the attack “cowardly act by militants” and assured that those responsible would be brought to justice swiftly, with investigations expedited.

Tank district and neighboring areas - including Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, and South Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border - remain security-sensitive, authorities said. The region has seen repeated militant attacks targeting police and security forces, including IED blasts and ambushes.