In the Khazina Banda area of Hangu district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, armed militants attacked a security checkpoint, killing at least seven police officers, including senior police officer DSP Diyar Khan, and injuring 22 others.
According to local police, security forces killed six attackers in the ensuing exchange of fire. Police said the militants, for the first time, used a quadcopter drone to carry out the assault on the checkpoint, resulting in heavy casualties.
Officials said that 15 of the wounded were transferred to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, while efforts to evacuate the remaining injured are ongoing. Doctors have described the condition of several of the wounded as critical.
Meanwhile, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that it had captured seven police officers alive, set three police vehicles on fire, and seized another vehicle. Pakistani authorities, however, have not confirmed these claims.
Police said the clash between the attackers and security forces lasted for approximately five hours and warned that the death toll could rise. They also confirmed that clearance operations against the militants have been launched in the area.
The attack comes amid a recent surge in militant violence and military operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Pakistan Army says it has killed 32 militants, including members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, in recent operations. However, the ongoing violence has left hundreds of people dead or injured and displaced more than 100,000 residents.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
