At least seven police officers were killed and five militants including a suicide bomber; died during a deadly assault on a police training center in Pakistan’s northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district late Friday, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The attack began around 8:30 p.m. when heavily armed assailants stormed the Police Training School, triggering the assault with a powerful suicide explosion that ripped through the compound. Within minutes, a fierce gun battle erupted as officers on duty fought to repel the attackers.
A senior police official said the confrontation quickly turned in favor of the security forces once reinforcements arrived, leading to the elimination of all militants. “The terrorists were neutralized before they could cause further destruction,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Hafiz Muhammad Adnan. The operation continued late into the night as security forces secured the area and searched for potential threats.
Thirteen injured personnel were transported to the District Headquarters Trauma Centre for treatment. Authorities confirmed that more than 200 police trainees and officers who were inside the facility at the time were safely evacuated. Nearby sites, including the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office, which had also come under threat, were cleared during the joint operation by police and security forces.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the assault, describing it as a “cowardly act of terrorism,” and paid tribute to the fallen officers. “They turned the terrorists’ nefarious designs into dust,” he said, vowing that Pakistan’s determination to eradicate militancy remains steadfast. Naqvi praised the “unparalleled sacrifices” of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police and extended condolences to the families of those killed.
Acting Senate Chairman Syedaal Khan also commended the courage of the police, asserting that the nation stood united in the fight against terrorism. “The blood of our brave sentinels will not go in vain,” he said.
The deadly confrontation marks a renewed surge of militant violence in Dera Ismail Khan, a district increasingly targeted in recent months. Just two days earlier, an army officer, Major Sibtain Haider, was killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Daraban area that also left seven militants dead.
At a press briefing on Friday, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry reaffirmed the armed forces’ commitment to uprooting terrorism and dismantling what he described as a “political-criminal nexus” fueling unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He criticized the lack of continuity in implementing the National Action Plan; the framework first introduced after the 2014 APS tragedy and urged consistent enforcement of its updated version, Azm-e-Istehkam.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Pakistan has witnessed a 46% rise in violent incidents during the third quarter of 2025. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan together account for more than 96% of all casualties, a grim reminder that Pakistan’s war against terrorism remains far from over.
