BANNU, Pakistan — Four police officers were killed in two separate shooting attacks in Bannu district on Sunday, underscoring the growing security crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and deepening strains between provincial authorities, police, and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
According to police officials, unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on traffic police personnel in the Lakki Marwat area of Bannu region, killing three officers on duty. The victims were identified as Traffic Police In-charge Naurang Jalal Khan and constables Azizullah and Abdullah. Their bodies were taken to Naurang Hospital as security forces sealed off the area and launched search operations for the attackers.
Just hours later, a fourth officer, Rashid Khan, was shot dead in a similar attack in the Kaffshi Khel area within the jurisdiction of Mandan police station. The assailants fled the scene, prompting additional cordon-and-search operations.
The attacks come amid an increasingly volatile security environment in the province, where police and civil authorities have publicly clashed with the military over counterterrorism strategy. Police officials and provincial figures have accused elements within the security establishment of tacitly enabling militant groups for strategic interests—claims the military has consistently denied. The accusations reflect a rare and widening rift within Pakistan’s security framework.
Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi condemned the killings, calling them “deeply tragic” and paying tribute to the fallen officers. “These cowardly attacks will not succeed in advancing the agenda of anti-state elements,” he said, adding that police officers remain on the front lines of the fight against militancy. He vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Afridi has also reiterated his government’s opposition to large-scale military operations against the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), arguing that past campaigns have disproportionately harmed civilians under the guise of collateral damage while failing to restore lasting peace.
The provincial government said it stands fully behind the police force and will provide financial and institutional support to the families of the slain officers.
As violence continues to claim lives, the twin challenges of militant attacks and internal discord among state institutions threaten to further destabilize a province already scarred by years of conflict.
