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Police Constable Killed, Colleague Wounded in Ambush on Patrol in Karak, K-P
A police constable was killed and another wounded early Wednesday when unidentified gunmen attacked a police vehicle in Karak district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to District Police Officer (DPO) Imran Khan.
Khan said the officers were conducting a routine patrol in the Shatakai dam area, under the jurisdiction of Sabirabad police station, when their vehicle was ambushed during the latter half of the night. Constable Zafran was killed in the attack, while Constable Muhammad Imtiaz sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
DPO Khan said he arrived at the scene late at night with reinforcements after being informed of the attack. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to locate those responsible, deploying additional personnel to monitor the movement of suspects in the vicinity.
"The police reiterate their resolve that all possible measures will be taken to bring to justice those elements targeting police personnel, and the suspects will be arrested soon and brought before the law," Khan said, adding that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend the attackers.
A funeral with full official honours was held for Constable Zafran at the Police Lines in Karak. The ceremony was attended by Regional Police Officer (RPO) Kohat Irfan Tariq, DPO Khan, district administration officials, police personnel, civil society members and the public. A police contingent presented a guard of honour, and senior officers placed floral wreaths on the coffin.
RPO Tariq offered condolences to the constable's family, saying the police force stood by them, and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice soon. The body was later transported to the constable's native area under official protocol for burial according to local customs.
The attack is the latest in a series of security incidents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where terrorist activity has risen sharply in recent years. Security forces have intensified operations against militant groups entering from the Afghan border, and the federal government has repeatedly raised concerns on international platforms about terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan being used to launch attacks on Pakistan — a matter also acknowledged by the United Nations Security Council.
Other recent incidents include a suspected IED attack on July 13 that killed two police officers and injured two others when it struck a police armoured personnel carrier on the Wana-Jandola road in Tank district. The device was reportedly detonated remotely, prompting a search operation.
On July 3, unidentified attackers carried out two sabotage attempts in Bannu district. Explosives planted inside the Government Girls Middle School in Mama Khel damaged the building, cracking walls and shattering windows and doors. Separately, militants placed an explosive-filled drum beneath a bridge in the Bachki area of Jani Khel, apparently intending to disrupt transport routes; security forces and the Bomb Disposal Unit defused it before it could detonate.
Additionally, at least seven people were killed on June 20 when a passenger vehicle was struck by an IED in the region.