DSP says it is still unclear where the suspected drone came from or who is behind the attack
BAJAUR:
Three people were killed and eight others injured when a suspected drone hit a residential house in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saeedur Rahman confirmed. The express PAkGazette on Thursday.
According to Rahman, the incident took place at Pakistan Chowk in Shinkot area of Mamund tehsil, where the house of Syed Wali Jan, son of Ajab Khan, was hit by a suspected drone.
“Women and children were among the eight people injured in the explosion, while local sources identified the dead as Ishaq, 15, son of Mirzaman; Imtiaz, 30, son of Bakhtiar; and Muneeba, five, daughter of Bakhtiar. The injured have been shifted to the district central hospital in Khar, where they are receiving medical treatment,” he added.
Read more: Two schoolchildren killed in drone attack in Bajaur, KP: police
Rahman said an investigation had been launched, but it was still unclear where the suspected drone came from or who was behind the attack.
“Police and relevant agencies have started collecting evidence from the scene and are examining the incident from different angles. Final details on the nature of the explosion and those responsible will be shared once the investigation is completed,” he added.
In May, two schoolchildren were killed in a drone strike in Shah Tangi area of Mamund tehsil in Bajaur district. The origin of the quadcopter and those responsible for the attack are unknown. That same month, three people were also injured in another drone attack on a cricket ground.
KP remains a key focus of the country’s counterterrorism efforts, with security forces regularly conducting IBOs against terrorists. The province witnessed a significant increase in militant violence last year, with more than 500 attacks reported, representing a 50% increase compared to the previous year.
According to a security evaluation obtained by The express PAkGazetteKP recorded 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, underlining the growing militant threat in settled and tribal districts. Despite the increase in attacks, security forces reportedly thwarted 320 major attacks, while 137 police officers were killed in the line of duty.
Read more: Bannu’s misery
The report said joint operations by KP police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected militants, while 420 militants were killed in intelligence-based operations.
Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Peshawar are among the districts most affected by militant violence, and the report notes a pattern of attacks allegedly planned and launched from across the Afghan border.
The CTD report also recorded a 56% increase in attacks on police personnel, rising from 327 in 2024 to 510 in 2025. During the year, security agencies carried out 2,791 search operations and identified 25 foreign militants, while extortion networks operating in Peshawar and other districts were dismantled, the report said.
