Riaz Hussain
The night turned deadly across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when terrorists struck almost simultaneously in multiple districts, leaving at least five policemen martyred and as many injured.
Police officials said unidentified militants targeted law enforcement in Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Peshawar, and Khyber’s Jamrud area in what appeared to be a coordinated assault. In Upper Dir, a police mobile van came under heavy fire, killing three officers on the spot and wounding three others. In Peshawar’s Hassan Khel area, an attack on a police station claimed the life of another policeman and left one injured, while in Lower Dir’s Lajbok area, a constable was martyred when militants opened fire on a checkpost. Officers also managed to repel further attempts to storm two other checkposts and the Hassan Khel Police Station.
In Khyber district, the Sakhi Pul police post in Jamrud — jointly run by Khyber and Peshawar police — came under attack. Law enforcers launched what officials described as a “robust counter-operation,” and no casualties had been reported from that incident by the time of the latest update.
The surge in violence comes only days after authorities resolved to carry out operations in Bajaur and Khyber districts, following the breakdown of talks between militants and the Bajaur Amn Jirga. Tribal elders had urged the expulsion of armed groups from the area, but negotiations collapsed. Security officials estimate that about 300 militants are present in two areas of Tehsil Mamund in Bajaur, with more than 350 in Khyber district.
In Bajaur, the security push has intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis. Operation Sarbakaf, launched in late July to target suspected militant hideouts near the Afghan border, has driven tens of thousands from their homes. Government data shows 1,497 men, 1,552 women, and 3,558 children are currently in official shelters, while another 2,497 are living in temporary camps at the district sports stadium. Registrations are underway for nearly 20,000 displaced households. Relief agencies, however, warn that the real number is far higher — up to 25,000 families, or around 100,000 people — from villages such as Lowi Mamund, Gat, Tarkho, Irab, and Khurchai have fled, many finding refuge with relatives or host communities.
The attacks come amid a broader resurgence in militant violence across the country. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, there were 78 terrorist incidents in June alone, killing at least 100 people. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remain the most affected regions, with security officials warning that the threat has grown steadily since 2021.
