PESHAWAR: Three police personnel were martyred after security forces successfully foiled a terrorist attack on a checkpost in Hangu district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late Wednesday night.
According to an official statement from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the attackers targeted the Qazi Talab checkpost under the cover of darkness. Police, led by Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Khan Zeb Mohmand, mounted an immediate response and engaged the militants in what the CTD described as “intense fighting” that lasted nearly two hours.
The statement said officers “surrounded the area and stood firm against the enemy like a wall of lead,” ultimately thwarting the terrorists’ attempt to overrun the checkpost.
During the operation, three policemen — Head Constable Wahid Shah, Head Constable Hikmat Khan, and Constable Abdul Samad — embraced martyrdom while bravely confronting the attackers.
According to CTD officials, the militants suffered multiple casualties but managed to escape using the rocky, mountainous terrain and the cover of night. The fleeing attackers carried away their dead and wounded.
Security forces later recovered the body of one slain terrorist during a search operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the assault, calling it a “cowardly act” aimed at destabilising the province.
“Terrorists have no religion. Such attacks cannot demoralise our forces,” Afridi said, directing authorities to dispatch additional personnel to the area and submit an immediate report on the incident. He also instructed hospitals to ensure urgent medical treatment for any injured officers.
“The fight against terrorism will continue with even stronger resolve,” he added, paying tribute to the martyred police officials.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also issued a statement honouring the fallen policemen and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to defeating militant violence.
“These sacrifices are a testament to Pakistan’s unwavering resolve in the fight against terrorism,” Naqvi said, noting that KP Police remain on the front lines of the struggle against extremist groups.
The Hangu attack comes days after Federal Constabulary personnel foiled a major coordinated terrorist attack on their Peshawar headquarters on Monday by deploying a series of rapid tactical moves that stopped three heavily armed militants — including two suicide bombers — at the perimeter of the compound.
Security officials said the attackers were linked to what authorities describe as the Indian-sponsored network Fitna al-Khawarij. In Pakistan, the term is used by the government and military to refer to extremist militant groups, including factions tied to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has regained operational space since 2021 by exploiting cross-border sanctuaries in Afghanistan, according to Pakistani officials.
