Five Pakistani police officers were killed on Tuesday after their vehicle was hit by an explosive device and then fired upon in the country’s northwest, authorities said, showing a renewed wave of militant violence in the region.
The attack took place in Karak district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where police said a patrol van was first struck by an improvised explosive before assailants opened fire. Four officers and the driver were killed at the scene, according to provincial police officials. No group has claimed responsibility.
The assault comes as Pakistan faces rising security threats across its border regions, with attacks increasing in recent months, according to Reuters and local officials.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the killings and praised the role of police in combating militancy.
“Police have always played a frontline role in the war against terrorism,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
The Karak district has historically seen fewer militant incidents than other parts of the province, making Tuesday’s attack a notable escalation in violence, security officials said.
The violence follows a breakdown in relations between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan after a surge in cross border attacks. Islamabad has accused militant groups of using Afghan territory to plan operations inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies, saying Pakistan’s security challenges are internal.
The two countries have struggled to maintain calm since their worst border clashes in years, which followed the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan last October, according to reporting from Reuters and the BBC.
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Pakistan’s mountainous border areas remain a stronghold for Islamist militants linked to Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, which has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state for nearly two decades.
Security forces have launched a search operation in the area, while officials say further measures are being considered to protect police patrols in vulnerable districts.
As Pakistan grapples with a persistent militant threat, analysts say the government faces growing pressure to prevent attacks on security personnel while managing fragile regional relations.