​Nine coordinated militant attacks target Pakistani police in 24 hours​

Militants conducted at least nine coordinated attacks on police stations and checkpoints across Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the past 24 hours, killing four policemen and injuring four others, officials said Sunday.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group seeking to overthrow Pakistan's government and establish strict Islamic rule, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to Qasim Ali Khan, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) in Peshawar, unidentified attackers targeted a police post in the city's Machni Gate area, killing constable Nazar Ali. "Attackers fled after police retaliated," the police official added.

In Karak district, assailants killed Sub-Inspector Salam Noor during an attack on the Takht-e-Nasrati police station, said District Police Officer Shahbaz Elahi.

"Another attack on a security post at the Esak Khumari gas facility led to the killing of a security guard, and a third attack occurred at Khuraam police station. However, police successfully repelled the assailants, thwarting a major attack by forcing the terrorists to retreat into the mountains," Elahi said.

In South Waziristan's Wana tehsil, unidentified assailants gunned down former police officer Johar in the village of Dabbkot.

According to DPO Khyber Mazhar Iqbal, terrorists launched a heavy-weapons attack on the Bar Qambar Takiya check post but fled after an exchange of fire with police, with no casualties reported.

According to DPO Waqas Rafiq, unidentified assailants opened fire on the vehicle of the SHO Loi Sam police station in Inayat Qila Bazaar of Bajaur district. As a result, Head Constable Kifayat Ullah and three civilians—Abu Hurairah, Gul Badshah, and Huzaifa—were injured.

According to DPO Ziauddin Ahmed, miscreants carried out attacks on two police stations in Bannu district, with no casualties reported. "The first attack targeted the Khujri police checkpoint, where unidentified motorcycle riders hurled a hand grenade. In response, village elders armed themselves and came out to protect the checkpoint, declaring that they would safeguard it," sources said.

Police stand guard along a road they blocked after Taliban militants seized a police station in Bannu on December 19, 2022. AFP

In Bannu, a second attack was carried out on the Bakakhel police station when unidentified assailants threw a hand grenade and opened fire. However, the attackers fled after police retaliated with full force.

Security forces 'bravely confronting terrorism'

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, speaking on the recent incidents of terrorism across various districts, over 1,000 personnel have been martyred in the past year. "Police and security forces are bravely confronting terrorism, and their sacrifices will not go in vain," he said.

Gandapur added that efforts are underway to strengthen the police force's capabilities, including the procurement of weapons and essential equipment, along with the establishment of new training centers to provide professional training to personnel.

The attacks occur as extortion cases across the province have surged nearly 200% since 2021, with the Counter Terrorism Department registering 422 cases during this period. Experts point to a direct link between terrorism financing and extortion, with many cases involving calls from Afghan phone numbers.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, ensuring the safety of citizens' lives and property remains the police force's top priority. "The police are risking their lives to maintain peace, and all those involved in acts of terrorism will be brought to justice," he asserted.

Rising fever pitch

The recent spate of attacks on police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues a troubling pattern of violence targeting security forces in the region. Last year, in October 2024, TTP militants stormed the district police headquarters in Bannu, killing four policemen before all five attackers were eliminated.

These incidents reflect escalating militant violence across Pakistan's northwestern region since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan has become the second most terrorism-affected country globally, with a 45% increase in terrorism deaths while the world experienced a 13% decline.

Pakistan's military has repeatedly warned Afghanistan against providing sanctuaries to banned outfits. Despite thousands of counterterrorism operations conducted last year, violence continues to escalate, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur acknowledging that over 1,000 security personnel have been martyred in the past year.