At least three security personnel lost their lives in two distinct targeted attacks in Bannu on Monday, highlighting the escalating militant violence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The first attack occurred outside the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office in the Baka Khel area, where armed assailants opened fire on the security detail. Police Constable Rafiullah and security guard Gul Shah Noor were killed instantly.
Despite a swift response by a heavy police contingent, the attackers managed to escape the scene. The bodies of the deceased were transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem procedures. Meanwhile, in a separate incident near the Miryan Kinger police station, Constable Sher Muhammad was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen.
These twin attacks have led local authorities to initiate a comprehensive manhunt across the district and establish multiple security checkpoints to apprehend those responsible. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi honored the fallen officers, stating they achieved the “great status of martyrdom” and set a “high example of bravery” through their sacrifice. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the attacks and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
These killings come amid a surge in militant activity throughout the province. Just last Friday, a suicide car bomb carrying over 1,000 kilograms of explosives targeted the Domel Police Station. Although police prevented the vehicle from breaching the station’s perimeter, the blast in a nearby civilian area resulted in five fatalities, including women and a child.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remains the focal point of Pakistan’s current security challenges. Official statistics reveal that the province accounted for 3,811 of the 5,397 terrorist incidents reported nationwide last year. Authorities often link this increase to militants operating from across the Afghan border following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In recent weeks, a series of improvised explosive device (IED) blasts and targeted ambushes in Lakki Marwat and South Waziristan have further stretched the provincial police force’s resources, underscoring the ongoing security crisis in the region.
