PESHAWAR – A major terrorist assault on the Ratta Kulachi Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan was repelled late Friday night after a fierce five-hour gun battle, leaving seven police personnel martyred and six attackers dead, officials confirmed.
According to the Central Police Office, the attackers—identified as Khawarij (militant extremists)—rammed an explosives-laden truck into the school’s main gate, triggering a massive blast that shattered windows across the compound. Moments later, the terrorists, disguised in various uniforms, launched an assault with automatic weapons and grenades, attempting to storm the training complex that houses hundreds of recruits.
Read More: Texas National Guard Arrives in Illinois Amid Legal Clash
Police officials said personnel on duty responded immediately and with remarkable courage, engaging in intense exchanges of gunfire with the attackers. “The terrorists repeatedly hurled grenades and tried to breach the inner perimeter, but our brave men held their ground,” said DPO Sahibzada Sajjad Ahmed, who, along with RPO Syed Ashfaq Anwar, supervised the entire operation on-site. Security reinforcements arrived quickly, and a joint police-army operation was launched. After more than five hours of heavy combat, all six attackers were neutralized.
Recovered from their possession were suicide vests, explosives, and sophisticated weapons, indicating a well-planned assault aimed at causing mass casualties. The Central Police Office reported that seven police personnel embraced martyrdom, while seven others sustained injuries. All 200 recruits and staff members were safely evacuated from the training school before the final clearance.
IGP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed that the area was fully secured, with a search and clean-up operation continuing in nearby localities to trace any potential facilitators. “Our heroes fought valiantly and prevented a national tragedy,” the IGP said, praising the leadership of the RPO and DPO and announcing rewards for all personnel who took part in the operation. “The sacrifices of our martyrs will never go in vain.”
Read More: Health Care Standoff Fuels Bitter Government Shutdown Fight
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack, calling the slain officers “heroes who foiled a catastrophic terrorist plot.” “They bravely stood their ground and crushed the malicious designs of the Khawarij terrorists,” Mr Naqvi said in a statement, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police have rendered unmatched sacrifices in the nation’s fight against terrorism. He offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.