MNN (Web-Desk); At least seven people, including four security personnel, were martyred in two separate incidents of gunfire in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district and the provincial capital, Peshawar, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The surge in terrorist attacks across Pakistan—particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan—has continued in the wake of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) calling off its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
In the first incident, four members of the Frontier Constabulary (FC), including a driver, lost their lives after unidentified assailants opened fire on their vehicle in the Garagri area of Karak. The personnel were reportedly on routine patrol duty and were providing security for a local gas company when they came under attack.
District Police Officer (DPO) Karak, Shehbaz Elahi, told reporters that a search operation had been launched in the area to apprehend the attackers.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Governor Faisal Kundi both strongly condemned the assault. CM Gandapur expressed condolences to the bereaved families and directed the concerned authorities to ensure the swift arrest of those responsible.
“We pay tribute to our brave security forces and their families for their ultimate sacrifice in the service of the nation,” read a statement issued from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Governor Kundi echoed these sentiments, stating, “The sacrifices of our martyrs in the war against terrorism will never be forgotten and will not go in vain.”
In a separate incident late Tuesday night in Peshawar, three people, including Police Inspector Ali Hussain, were killed in a targeted attack on Warsak Road.
According to Peshawar’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations, Masood Ahmed, Inspector Hussain was traveling in a car with two companions when four unidentified gunmen on two motorcycles ambushed them, spraying the vehicle with bullets.
Weapons used in the attack included a pistol and a submachine gun (SMG), the SSP confirmed, adding that an investigation had been launched and geofencing was underway to trace the attackers.
Governor Kundi denounced the attack as “inhumane and tragic,” offering heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.
This is not the first time Karak has witnessed such violence. Just last month, a police officer was martyred at a checkpoint in the Koh-i-Maidan area, near the borders of Lakki Marwat and Mianwali districts. The attackers in that case also managed to flee into the nearby mountains.
The recent rise in terrorist incidents has raised concerns among security experts and government officials, who stress the need for stronger intelligence and coordinated counterterrorism operations to ensure lasting peace in the region.
