DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Three police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were martyred on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted their vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, officials confirmed.
According to district police spokesperson Yaqoob Zulqarnain, the explosion occurred in the Paniyala area within the jurisdiction of the Shaheed Nawab Khan police station. The device detonated as a police mobile was on routine patrol.
The martyred personnel were identified as ASI Gul Alam, Constable Rafiq, and driver Sakhi Jan. A fourth policeman, Constable Azad Shah, survived the blast without injuries. Police immediately cordoned off the site an
“The terrorists have carried out a cowardly attack. Such acts cannot dampen the morale of police,” a statement issued by the office of DI Khan DPO Sajjad Ahmad Sahibzada said.https://t.co/dZPn6GS9Hn
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“Police are searching for the attackers, and the matter is being investigated from all angles,” the spokesperson said, adding that senior officials — including the Paniyala DSP, the SHO, and DI Khan DPO Sajjad Ahmad Sahibzada — reached the site soon after.
A separate statement from the DPO’s office said the attack was carried out by “unidentified terrorists”. The DPO declared that “such cowardly acts cannot dampen the morale of the police”.
Later in the day, DI Khan Police announced that two terrorists linked to ‘Fitna-al-Khawarij’ were killed during an intense exchange of fire in the ongoing “search and strike” operation. Reports indicated two additional suspects may have been injured. The operation was being conducted by police units, elite force personnel, the Al-Burq force, and bomb disposal teams.
Funeral prayers for the fallen personnel were offered with full official honours.
Condemnations Pour In
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack, calling the martyred policemen “heroes who laid down their lives for the nation”. He vowed that the fight against terrorism would continue with “greater determination and full force” and assured full government support for the families of the martyrs.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi termed the attack a “cowardly and brutal act”, stating that the sacrifices of police and security forces “will not go in vain”. He emphasised that the province remained united against terrorism.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the attack, directing authorities to “identify and bring the perpetrators to justice”. He paid tribute to the “great sacrifices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police”.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the bravery of the fallen officers and said their sacrifices would always be remembered.
Rising Violence in the Region
The incident is the latest in a series of militant attacks in DI Khan, where police have repeatedly been targeted. The district has seen a surge in violence in recent months amid an uptick in terrorist activity across KP and Balochistan following the TTP’s 2022 withdrawal from its ceasefire with the government.
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