Attack on police post in northwest Pakistan kills 11 officers

At least 11 police officers were killed in an ambush on a police post in Pakistan's northwestern Hangu district, near the Afghan border, local authorities said. The attack, which took place late on Wednesday, involved explosive-laden quadcopters that targeted the police post before an ambush, according to a police statement.

Security forces engaged in an hours-long gun battle with the attackers, killing 15 of them while sustaining heavy casualties, local police said. Among those killed was Deputy Superintendent Diyar Khan, who had led reinforcements to the scene, local police said. Attackers set three police cars alight and took another police vehicle, said district police officer Mujahid Hussain.

A separate report from The Hindu, citing police official Irfan Khan, said the attack targeted the Khazina police post in Hangu district, and that reinforcements dispatched to the scene were ambushed en route, damaging an armored personnel carrier before officers fought back. More than two dozen police officers were also wounded in the attack, according to a provincial police statement.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which came days after a deadly suicide bombing targeting Pakistani soldiers in the nearby district of Tank. The Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, claimed responsibility for that suicide attack, according to Al Jazeera.

Coverage comparison

Reports of the attack vary slightly in casualty figures and detail. Al Jazeera reported at least 11 police officers killed and 28 injured, with 15 attackers killed. The Hindu also reported 11 police officers killed, 15 militants killed, and more than two dozen police officers wounded. Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters, reported at least 10 officers killed, with 15 attackers killed, and described the attackers as Islamist terrorists using improvised explosive devices attached to quadcopters.

The attack is part of a broader pattern of violence in Pakistan's border areas. Al Jazeera noted that violence in the region has risen sharply in recent months, targeting mainly the military and police after an armed conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan killed hundreds earlier this year. The Hindu reported a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it blamed on the TTP, a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

Key claims

  • At least 11 police officers were killed in the attack on a police post in Hangu district, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu. Jerusalem Post reported at least 10 officers killed.
  • Security forces killed 15 attackers during the raid, a figure consistent across Al Jazeera, The Hindu, and Jerusalem Post.
  • The attackers used explosive-laden quadcopters to target the police post before ambushing it, as reported by Al Jazeera and Jerusalem Post. The Hindu reported that militants attacked the police post with heavy weapons.
  • Deputy Superintendent Diyar Khan was killed in the attack, according to Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
  • 28 police officers were injured, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Hindu reported more than two dozen police officers were wounded.
  • A separate suicide attack on a security checkpoint in Tank district killed 27 people, including 12 soldiers, two police officers, and 12 attackers, as reported by Al Jazeera. The same source noted that the Pakistani Taliban said four suicide bombers carried out that assault.
  • The Pakistan Taliban has been fighting against the Pakistani state since 2007, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • The Centre for Research and Security Studies recorded fatalities rising from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 last year, while the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies says attacks nationwide rose 34 percent over the same period, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • There has been a surge in attacks and suicide bombings against police in Bannu district, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

Pakistani authorities: Police and government officials provided details of the attack and casualties. Police official Irfan Khan and district police officer Mujahid Hussain are quoted, along with provincial police statements. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering armed groups, according to Al Jazeera and The Hindu.

Afghan Taliban government: The Afghan Taliban government has denied accusations that it provides safe haven to militants, saying terrorism is Pakistan's domestic problem, as reported by Al Jazeera and Jerusalem Post.

Pakistani Taliban (TTP): The group claimed responsibility for the separate suicide attack in Tank district and has been waging a rebellion against the Pakistani state, according to Al Jazeera. No group has claimed responsibility for the Hangu attack.