North Waziristan Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali was among four people martyred on Tuesday when unidentified militants ambushed his vehicle on the Miranshah–Bannu Road, in one of the deadliest targeted attacks on government officials in the region this year.
Police and district administration officials said the assistant commissioner was travelling from Miranshah to Bannu on official duty when motorcycle-borne gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. The attackers later set the vehicle ablaze before fleeing. Two police personnel and a passerby were also martyred in the assault.
The martyred policemen were identified as Constable Syed Rehman and Constable Sher Rehman, while the civilian was named as Aziz-ur-Rehman. Two other police officials, Constable Faheem and Constable Rai,s sustained serious injuries and were shifted to Bannu Hospital for emergency treatment. Officials confirmed that the attackers also seized weapons from the police at the scene.
A heavy contingent of police and security forces cordoned off the area and launched a joint search operation. DIG Bannu Sajjad Khan said law enforcement agencies were “coordinating closely to track down the assailants,” adding that security across the district had been placed on high alert.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack, terming it a cowardly act of terrorism. Seeking a detailed report from the Inspector General of Police, the chief minister vowed that the perpetrators would be brought to justice and directed officials to ensure the injured receive top-quality medical care.
The ambush comes just a day after a suicide attack targeting a police mobile in Lakki Marwat martyred one policeman and injured six others. It is the second major assault on state officials along the Miranshah–Bannu link road in a month, following the November 4 attack on North Waziristan’s district police officer.
Terror incidents have surged sharply in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since 2021, with officials repeatedly urging the Afghan Taliban to prevent cross-border militant activity.