Militant assault on Pakistan police checkpost leaves nine officers dead, 15 attackers killed

New Delhi: A coordinated militant assault on a police checkpost in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province triggered a prolonged gunbattle overnight, leaving nine police personnel dead and 28 others injured. Pakistani authorities said security forces killed 15 militants during the operation, while search efforts continued in the area.

The attack targeted the Khazana checkpost in Hangu district, where militants opened fire using heavy weapons while police personnel were on duty. The exchange escalated rapidly and the authorities had to send in additional police units to reinforce the post.

Before the reinforcements could reach the checkpost, the convoy was ambushed by another group of militants, damaging an APC and increasing the intensity of the confrontation. Despite the setback, police personnel continued to engage the attackers for several hours.

Among those killed was the Diyar Khan deputy superintendent of police. Reports said 28 personnel, including deputy superintendent Mujahid Hussain, sustained injuries during the fighting. Provincial police described the operation as one of the fiercest recent engagements with militants in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said the counteroffensive resulted in the deaths of 15 militants, while several others were believed to have been injured. Security operations remained underway to ensure the area was cleared of any remaining attackers.

In a separate incident later the same night, another police checkpost in Peshawar’s Adezai area came under militant fire. Police personnel responded immediately, forcing the attackers to retreat without causing any casualties, Dawn reported.

Reacting to the attack, Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the assault and expressed condolences to the families of the slain officers. He also wished a speedy recovery to the injured personnel before later briefing the president, Asif Ali Zardari, on the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighbouring Balochistan.

During the meeting, Zardari praised the Pakistani army, police and other law enforcement agencies for their role in counterterrorism operations and reaffirmed support for ongoing efforts to combat militant violence across the country.

Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, Pakistani authorities attributed the attack to militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which the government officially refers to as “Fitna al-Khawarij” (roughly translated to chaos or mischief of the seceders/rebels). The group has frequently targeted security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years.

The latest assault comes amid a renewed wave of militant violence in Pakistan. Earlier on Wednesday, one police officer and four members of a village defence committee were killed during a security operation in Swat, where six suspected TTP militants were also reported dead. Earlier this month, 27 police personnel lost their lives in a major attack on a police post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district.

Pakistan has witnessed a steady increase in militant attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remaining the most affected regions. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing TTP militants to operate from Afghan territory, an allegation Kabul has consistently denied.