At least three police officers were martyred in a gun attack on a police checkpost in Karak early Thursday morning, according to police sources. The militants targeted the checkpost in the Bahadur Khel area of Karak district, using heavy weapons, leading to a fierce gunfight before the attackers fled.
Reinforcements and emergency responders arrived at the scene soon after, and the bodies of the fallen officers, along with the injured, were transported to the district headquarters hospital.
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Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hamid visited the site to assess the situation and called for a security operation in response to the assault.
Though no group immediately claimed responsibility, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recently witnessed an increase in militant activity, with security forces often the target of such attacks.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the assault as a “cowardly act” and paid tribute to the fallen officers, reassuring the public that the government would not allow militants to destabilize the region.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, expressed condolences to the families of the slain officers and reiterated the government’s commitment to fighting terrorism.
As militant activity intensifies, security forces have ramped up counterterrorism operations in northwest Pakistan, especially in areas near Afghanistan. Last week, a major operation in Balochistan led to the elimination of 23 terrorists, but also saw 18 Pakistani soldiers martyred. The terrorists had attempted to create roadblocks in Kalat District, disrupting the peace and targeting innocent civilians.
