In a brazen assault on law enforcement in Pakistan’s volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an Additional Station House Officer (SHO) was killed during a terrorist attack on a police station in Bajaur district’s War Mamund tehsil. The incident, which unfolded late Saturday night, underscores the escalating security threats facing security forces in the region.
According to local authorities cited by Dawn News, a group of heavily armed militants launched a coordinated attack using both light and heavy weapons. Police personnel mounted a fierce defense throughout the night, but Additional SHO Gul Mahmood succumbed to his injuries while displaying remarkable bravery.
A senior police officer who inspected the site Sunday morning confirmed that all other personnel at the station emerged unscathed. ‘Our brave officers stood their ground against the onslaught,’ the officer stated, highlighting the valor shown amid the chaos.
This attack is part of a disturbing surge in violence targeting police and security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan. Just earlier this week, four policemen, including an SHO, lost their lives in Dera Ismail Khan when armed assailants ambushed a police party returning from a search operation in Paniala Wanda Budh area. The attackers, reportedly hiding in nearby forests, unleashed a hail of bullets on the convoy.
A recent Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) report paints a grim picture of the nation’s security landscape in 2025. Recording a staggering 699 attacks—a 34% increase from 2024—the year has seen 1,034 fatalities and 1,366 injuries from conflict-related violence. Conflict incidents, including counter-terror operations, border skirmishes, and kidnappings, skyrocketed to 1,124, marking a 43% rise over the previous year.
Deaths from such violence have climbed 21%, signaling a deepening crisis. As Pakistan grapples with this wave of militancy, the government faces mounting pressure to bolster security measures and restore stability in these troubled border regions.