BANNU – A deadly exchange of fire between police and terrorists in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, left one police officer martyred and four others, including a schoolteacher, injured late Wednesday night. According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) spokesperson Khanzala Qureshi, the incident occurred around 12:30 am when terrorists ambushed a police patrol team accompanied by members of a local peace committee. The attack took place in the jurisdiction of Haved Police Station.
Police constable Murtaza Jan embraced martyrdom during the attack, while four others sustained injuries. Among the wounded were another police officer and a schoolteacher, whose condition remains critical at the hospital.
Qureshi confirmed that security forces responded swiftly, forcing the terrorists to flee the scene. He added that the injured and the body of the martyred officer were promptly shifted to the hospital for treatment. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, was already on a visit to review the security situation in the region when the attack took place. The IGP has been closely monitoring developments on the ground.
Terrorist activities have seen a sharp rise in Pakistan over the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. The group has since vowed to target law enforcement agencies and security forces.
Earlier this month, another police officer was martyred in a separate shooting incident within the Mandan Police Station area of Bannu.