Two police officers killed, six injured in attack on Karak checkpost

In a brazen overnight assault, militants attacked a police checkpost in Karak during the early hours of Thursday, killing at least two police officers and injuring six others, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The attackers, armed with heavy weapons, launched a heavy barrage of gunfire at the police station in the city area of Bahadurkhel. 

The deceased officers have been identified as driver Naqeeb and Adnan. Four injured personnel were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Karak for treatment. Two of the wounded are reported to be in critical condition and have been transferred to Peshawar for advanced medical care.

District Police Officer (DPO) Karak informed Geo News that the assailants fled the scene after police retaliated. 

A heavy police contingent immediately arrived on the mishap site, cordoning off the area and initiating a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators. 

Security measures have been heightened across the area following the incident.

The attack comes just days after a policeman was shot dead by extremists in Khyber district during an anti-polio campaign. 

On February 3, an inoculation team was ambushed in the Bakarabad area on the first day of the vaccination drive, highlighting the persistent threat posed by militant groups in the region.

It should be mentioned here that the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), remain the most active militant group in the area. 

In response to escalating security threats, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month declared the need to eliminate the "Fitna al-Khawarij," referring to the TTP, which has been responsible for numerous attacks on security forces and civilians.

During a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on the National Action Plan (NAP) on January 3, PM Shehbaz urged federal and provincial authorities to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and ensure peace across the country. 

He specifically highlighted the presence of infiltrators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and commended the security forces for the robust response to recent cross-border terrorist attacks.

Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant violence since the Taliban regained power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021. According to the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies, more than 1,600 people were killed in attacks in 2023, marking the deadliest year in nearly a decade.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghanistan's Taliban government of failing to curb militant activities on its soil, a charge Kabul denies. 

The situation between the two neighbours remains tense, with recent incidents, including a November bombing in Balochistan that killed seven people—five of them children—underscoring the ongoing security challenges.

Authorities continue to investigate the latest attack in Karak as efforts to stabilise the region and counter militant threats intensify.