DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two police officers were killed and two others wounded on Monday in a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, according to police sources.
Police sources informed Dawn that an IED likely struck a police armoured personnel carrier (APC) during the incident on Tank-Jandola Road.
Initial reports indicate the device was planted roadside and detonated as the APC conducted a routine patrol near Shaheed Mureed Akbar Police Station, the sources added.
As a result, Assistant Sub-Inspector Fareedullah and Constable Akhtar Zaman were killed, while Constables Abdul Malik and Qudratullah were wounded, according to the sources. The injured personnel were transported to the district headquarters hospital.
Security forces and police cordoned off the area following the blast. A search operation was launched and evidence is being gathered from the scene, the sources said, noting that an investigation has begun to determine the circumstances and identify those responsible.
In the aftermath, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi requested a report from relevant authorities, according to a statement from his office.
The governor paid tribute to the slain officers, describing them as a source of national pride for their sacrifices in combating terrorism.
He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and expressed solidarity with them.
“Such attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve in the fight against terrorism,” the statement quoted him as saying.
The statement further said the governor directed authorities to provide the best medical care to the wounded officers and prayed for their swift recovery.
He also called for a thorough probe and emphasized that perpetrators must be brought to justice, the statement added.
Police in Tank have faced repeated attacks in recent months amid ongoing militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Last week, an Elite Force constable was killed in broad daylight by unidentified gunmen in Tank’s main bazaar. Police said the attackers shot Constable Ziaullah Bhittani near Sahib Jan Serai close to the Durand Gate post before fleeing.
On June 20, a police constable was wounded when unidentified assailants threw a grenade at a checkpost near a shrine in Tank. Officials said the blast occurred on the post’s premises, injuring Constable Fidaullah.
In a separate incident on May 10, Head Constable Jan Alam of the Tank police was killed when unidentified attackers opened fire on him.
Similarly, another head constable was shot dead in March in Tank city’s main bazaar. Police said Head Constable Uzair Khan was seated at a shop in Gali Dak Khana when armed men fired on him.
According to a monthly security assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), after two months of relative improvement, Pakistan’s security situation worsened significantly in May, mainly due to surging terrorist violence in KP and Balochistan.
