In a deadly assault on a police check post in northwestern Pakistan, three policemen were killed and six others injured on Thursday morning. The attack took place at the Bahadur Khel check post in the Karak district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, close to the Afghanistan border.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police Central Office, heavily armed militants launched a barrage of gunfire at the check post, using both light and heavy weapons. The attackers aimed to capture the post, but the security personnel stationed there fought back in an intense firefight that lasted for two hours. The assailants eventually fled the scene after the police retaliated.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the police were quick to respond, with a contingent arriving at the scene and launching a search operation to track down the perpetrators.
District Police Officer Shehbaz Elahi confirmed that three injured policemen were transported to the Karak District Headquarter Hospital, while three others, in critical condition, were sent to Peshawar for further treatment. The police are still investigating the incident and have heightened security measures across the region.
The funeral prayers of the fallen policemen were held at the Karak Police Lines and attended by KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Kohat Regional Police Officer Abbas Majeed, and other local officials. Speaking to the media, IG Hameed lauded the bravery of the police personnel, stating, “Our Jawans fought bravely and thwarted the enemy’s attack. The terrorists were unsuccessful in their attempts and fled.”
“We will continue to fight terrorism with all our might,” Hameed added, assuring that the KP police would track down the militants wherever they are hiding.
In the aftermath of the attack, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, condemned the assault and called for swift action to arrest the perpetrators. Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, also expressed his condolences and praised the sacrifices of the fallen policemen.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had previously urged the elimination of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for many attacks against security forces and civilians. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated over the issue of TTP militants operating from Afghan territory.
This attack comes amid an alarming rise in terrorism-related incidents in Pakistan. In fact, 2024 is being marked as the deadliest year for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade, with over 685 security personnel killed in at least 444 terror attacks, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies think tank.
As the search for the attackers continues, security forces and local authorities remain resolute in their commitment to confronting the growing threat posed by militant groups in the region.
Sources By Agencies
