At least five policemen were martyred and eight others injured as militants simultaneously targeted police forces across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late Wednesday night, officials confirmed. The attacks occurred in Upper Dir, Lower Dir, and Peshawar, reflecting a coordinated attempt to strike law enforcement personnel ahead of national celebrations.
In Upper Dir, militants attacked a police mobile van, leaving three officers dead and six injured. Police immediately launched a search operation for the attackers, while the wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
In Lower Dir, two separate attacks on police checkpoints in Maidan, Lajbok, and Shadas claimed the life of Constable Sanaullah, while another officer, Sultan Zareen, sustained injuries, District Police Officer Abdul Salam Khalid reported.
Peshawar also witnessed violent incidents as two checkpoints in Matni and Nasir Bagh, along with Hassan Khel police station, came under fire. Constable Jahangir Khan was killed during the attack on Hassan Khel, while another officer was injured. The attacks on Matni and Nasir Bagh were successfully repelled, according to KP police.
Police and other law enforcement agencies responded swiftly, forcing militants to retreat. The KP police press release described the attackers as elements of “Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” the state-designated term for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who aimed to disrupt law and instil fear ahead of the 14 August Independence Day celebrations.
Funeral prayers for Constable Jahangir Khan were offered at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Line in Peshawar, attended by KP Police IG Zulfiqar Hameed and other senior officials. In Upper Dir, funeral prayers were held for the three martyred officers, with IG KP also present.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attacks as “cowardly” and vowed that such incidents would not demoralise the police force. He assured full support for the families of the martyred officers.
The attacks come amid an uptick in terror activities across KP and Balochistan following the TTP’s end to its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Recent months have seen a spate of attacks in districts including Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, and Bajaur, prompting intensified counterterrorism operations.
Authorities said there are approximately 300 militants in Bajaur’s Tehsil Mamund and over 350 in Khyber district. Security forces have vowed to continue operations to eliminate the threat and maintain law and order across the province.