An attack on a police vehicle martyred seven policemen, including an officer, in the Bettani subdivision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Friday.
The spokesman for the district police officer, Qudratullah, said that a squad of the Shadikhel police station was on routine patrol duty in the area when the terrorist attack occurred. The vehicle was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED).
The official said that terrorists had planted an IED along the Shahdikhel-Mastikhel road to target the law enforcement personnel. Six policemen, including a station house officer (SHO) and five constables, lost their lives in the explosion, he said.
The bodies of the martyred and the injured policeman were taken to the hospital. The injured cop later succumbed to his wounds, bringing the total fatalities to seven.
A large police contingent reached the area and launched a search for the perpetrators of the attack.
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement issued by the President House, condemned the attack and prayed for the martyrs.
President Zardari wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He further stated that the state’s resolve towards eliminating terrorism remained “unwavering”.
Funeral prayers of police personnel who embraced martyrdom in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Shadi Khel area of Lakki Marwat were offered with full official honours at the Police Lines.
A large number of police officials, administrative officers and personnel attended the funeral prayers. District Police Officer (DPO) Lakki Marwat Nazeer Khan and SP Investigation Murad Khan were also present on the occasion. A smartly turned-out police contingent presented a guard of honour to the martyrs, while the DPO and other officials laid floral wreaths on the coffins and paid tribute to their sacrifices.
Special prayers were offered for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs and for patience and strength for the bereaved families.
KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.
This marked an “absolute increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82 per cent of the net national rise and marking almost a 44pc year-on-year surge in violence in the province”.
Separately, security forces have foiled an attempt by terrorists belonging to the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij to infiltrate the area.
The Security Sources said, the infiltration attempt occurred near Sadaq village in the vicinity of North Waziristan, where the terrorists were successfully prevented from entering the region. They said that operations against the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij are ongoing, adding that that the groups are encountering strong resistance on multiple fronts.
Security sources said the actions are being carried out under Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq and it will continue until its objectives are fully achieved.