PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A deadly ambush on a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district has claimed the lives of seven officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). The attack unfolded Tuesday on Shakardara Road, where armed assailants unleashed a barrage of gunfire on the targeted convoy.
Local media reports indicate the DSP, accompanied by two guards, was the primary target. All three perished instantly at the scene. In the chaotic aftermath, reinforcements from Kohat rushed to the area, launching an extensive search operation to hunt down the perpetrators.
Authorities swiftly cordoned off the site, initiating a thorough investigation. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the strike as a terrorist act, paying tribute to the fallen officers who died in the line of duty. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
Kundi highlighted the deteriorating law and order in the province’s southern districts, praising the police for their resolute stand against such brazen assaults. This incident underscores a sharp rise in violence, as per the Center for Research and Security Studies’ 2025 annual report, which notes fatalities surging from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 last year.
The attack follows a pattern of escalating threats. Just a day earlier, in Karak district, three Federal Constabulary personnel were killed in a quadcopter strike, followed by militants targeting a rescue ambulance near Ghole Banda Dam. The vehicle burst into flames, injuring three Rescue 1122 staff. Last week, 11 security personnel died in a Bajaur checkpoint assault, with a young girl also among the casualties, according to the military’s media wing.
As search operations intensify, questions loom over the security apparatus in these volatile regions. The province grapples with mounting insurgent activities, testing the resolve of law enforcement amid a backdrop of rising militancy.