KARAK, Pakistan: Four police personnel were killed and two suspected militants died in an exchange of gunfire during a security operation in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, police said, as authorities continued efforts to contain a long-running threat of armed violence in the region, reported by Dawn News.
According to a police statement, security forces launched a search operation around midday in the Charpara area of Karak district, where suspected militants had reportedly established a road blockade the previous night.
The operation was led by two deputy superintendents of police, including an officer from the Counter Terrorism Department. Bomb disposal specialists, drone operators, emergency response personnel and a rapid response unit also took part.
Police said the officers raided a suspected militant commander’s hideout, triggering an exchange of fire that left two suspected militants dead.
Four members of the police force were killed during the encounter; a deputy superintendent from the Counter Terrorism Department, a station house officer, a constable and a head constable assigned to the bomb disposal unit.
Authorities said the operation was still underway, indicating that security personnel remained engaged in efforts to address the threat.
Later, funeral prayers for the four officers were held with full official honours. Senior police officials, government administrators, security personnel and relatives attended the ceremony.
The killings highlight the continuing security challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan that has experienced repeated attacks on police and other security personnel.
Thursday’s operation came about 20 days after a separate joint security operation reportedly destroyed several suspected militant hideouts in the same district.
Violence has also been reported in neighbouring areas in recent months, including an operation in which two suspected militants were killed and an earlier roadside bomb attack that killed one police officer and injured six others.
A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies said violence related deaths in Pakistan rose by 83 per cent in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for 98 per cent of the reported fatalities, underscoring the concentration of security challenges in the country’s western regions.__photo courtesy KP police (Dawn)
