In Dera Ismail Khan, a police gunman lost his life and six officers were wounded after unidentified armed assailants ambushed a police team. The attack occurred within the jurisdiction of Hathala police station.
The police unit, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kifayat Khan, was traveling along Tank Road when the assailants launched a sudden assault between Pota and Amin Farm. The police immediately retaliated, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. During the confrontation, the police vehicle overturned, causing injuries to DSP Kifayat Khan and five other personnel. Another officer sustained a gunshot wound.
The injured were promptly transported to the DHQ Teaching Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan. Saeed Khan, the DSP’s gunman, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, marking him as a martyr, District Police Officer Ziauddin Ahmed.
Following the attack, a significant deployment of police and other law enforcement agencies secured the area, cordoned off the scene, and initiated a search operation to apprehend the attackers.
This incident is part of a series of violent attacks targeting police personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Notably, on August 3, a suicide bombing at Kabal police station in Swat resulted in 17 deaths and 19 injuries. Swat’s DPO Muhammad Umar Khan confirmed the bomber’s head was recovered and preliminary investigations suggested the attacker was an Afghan national.
Earlier this year, on February 25, four police officers were killed in an attack by armed men in Bajaur. The assailants targeted an Ababeel Squad in Nawagai area of tehsil Khar, killing four personnel on the spot and seriously injuring two others.
