By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed eight militants on Tuesday in a sweeping operation launched after an ambush that left five police officers dead in a remote, gas-rich area of northwestern Pakistan, officials said, as the country grapples with a sharp rise in attacks along its volatile border with Afghanistan.
The initial assault struck a police patrol vehicle in the Gurguri region of Karak District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, an inaccessible stretch of mountainous terrain where exploration activities at a large natural gas field demand constant security presence.
More than a dozen well-armed terrorists opened fire on the van, according to the district police spokesman, Shaukat Khan. “All of the martyred personnel were constables,” Khan said, identifying them as Shahid Iqbal, Samiullah, Arif, Safdar and Muhammad Abrar, the driver. An image shared by the police showed the charred remains of the vehicle, though the precise circumstances of the attack remained under investigation.
Acting on orders from the regional police office in Kohat and the Karak district police chief, a joint team from the local police and the Counter-Terrorism Department pursued the attackers. “Eight terrorists were killed as they were pursued through tricky and mountainous terrain,” Khan said. “The bodies of the slain terrorists have been shifted to the hospital for a post-mortem, while the process of identifying them is underway.”
No group claimed responsibility, but strikes of this kind on security forces have often been traced to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Later in the day, funeral prayers for the five officers were held with full official honors, according to a police statement. A decorated contingent offered a salute, and flowers were placed on the flag-draped bodies. The ceremony drew top provincial leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, along with other civilian and law enforcement officials. Afridi met with the victims’ relatives, expressing grief and paying tribute to their sacrifice while assuring them of government benefits and welfare support.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life and offering prayers for the slain officers, according to a statement from his office. He extended condolences to their families and assured them of the government’s full support. Sharif paid tribute to the police force’s role in combating terrorism, noting that its members had rendered “unparalleled” services to ensure peace and security. “The entire nation salutes the martyrs who laid down their lives in the line of duty,” he said, adding that their sacrifices would never be forgotten. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the complete elimination of terrorism in all its forms.The attack is part of a troubling pattern of violence against police in the province.
Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in militant activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, in recent months. Islamabad has accused Kabul of facilitating cross-border attacks and harboring groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Last week, a police official and his brother were killed in a gun attack in Lakki Marwat. Earlier this month, one constable died and five others were wounded in a suicide blast targeting a police vehicle in the same district. In November, three officers were killed when militants stormed a checkpost in Hangu.
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