The attackers forced the officer out of a rickshaw before opening indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot.
KP Police. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ARCHIVE
MIRANSHAH:
A police constable was shot dead by terrorists after being pulled out of a rickshaw near Lora Bridge in Bannu on Monday while he was on his way to his duty place, District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu Yasir Afridi confirmed.
According to Afridi, Constable Umar Niaz Khan was on his way to DIG Bungalow, where he was posted, when unidentified armed terrorists intercepted the rickshaw carrying him near Lora Bridge.
He said the attackers forced the officer out of the vehicle before opening indiscriminate fire, killing him at the scene. The attackers fled immediately after the attack.
Following the incident, police and members of the local peace committee reached the spot, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the attackers. Investigators collected evidence from the crime scene and opened an investigation into the murder.
Later, funeral prayers were offered for Khan with full official honors at Bannu Police Lines. The ceremony was attended by police officers, staff and other government officials, who paid tribute to the sacrifice of the slain officer.
The police also reiterated their commitment to bringing those responsible for the attack to justice.
The killing followed a new wave of terrorist violence in Bannu and the adjoining lower district of South Waziristan, where multiple attacks over the past week have highlighted growing security concerns.
In South Waziristan, unidentified terrorists destroyed a public girls’ primary school in Sara Ghora area of Barmal Tehsil by placing explosives inside the building overnight, reducing the structure to rubble.
In another attack, terrorists used a quadcopter to launch two improvised explosive devices inside the Haved police station premises, injuring two Border Corps personnel and damaging two official vehicles.
Read: Terrorist wave hits Bannu, South Waziristan
In another incident, Nisar Ahmed, principal of the government secondary school in Mandiu area of Miryan tehsil, was allegedly abducted by armed men from the school premises, raising alarm among teachers and residents.
Bannu also witnessed other security incidents during the week. A suspected drone attack in Narmi Khel area under Bakakhel police station injured rickshaw driver Asifullah, while two mortar shells fired towards Bannu Cantonment hit the old ROD Ground, causing panic but no casualties.
On the other hand, retired Frontier Corps officer Ali Mar Khan was kidnapped from Jani Khel area.
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.
