DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least three police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were martyred when unknown militants attacked a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) district on Wednesday, police said.
A KP police spokesperson said the assailants had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road. The device detonated as the police vehicle approached, after which the attackers opened fire on the officers.
The site of the incident had been cordoned off and a search operation was underway, he added.
The latest terror attack comes a day after at least four persons, including two policemen and North Waziristan Assistant Commissioner Shah Waliullah, were martyred by unidentified assailants in Bannu district, officials said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and KP Governor Faisal Kundi have strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a police mobile in DI Khan.
In a statement, PM Shehbaz expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of three police personnel in the attack. The prime minister prayed for the elevation of the martyrs' ranks and offered condolences to their families
PM Shehbaz directed that the injured personnel be provided with the best possible medical facilities. He also directed that those responsible for the incident be identified and brought to justice.
The premier paid tribute to the great sacrifices made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in the war against terrorism. He reaffirmed the unwavering commitment to root out the menace of terrorism.
Terrorist attacks have seen a sharp increase in Pakistan, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban regime came into power.
A police report noted that KP alone recorded over 600 terror incidents, in which at least 79 police personnel were martyred alongside 138 civilians, during the first eight months of 2025.
Pakistan has time and again called on the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by terrorists against Pakistan, and the issue recently resulted in heightened tensions featuring cross-border attacks by the Afghan side, resulting in retaliation from Pakistani forces as well.
