ISLAMABAD: Terrorists opened fire on a police convoy in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing four people — including a senior local administrator — in a targeted assault that reflects the worsening security situation in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The attack took place on Miranshah Road in Bannu district, where gunmen ambushed the vehicle of Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali as he travelled with his police escort. The vehicle was raked with gunfire and later set ablaze, according to officials.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan confirmed that the assistant commissioner and two police constables were martyred, along with a resident who was working in nearby fields. Two other police officials were injured.
“The attack was sudden, and after opening fire, the assailants also set the vehicle on fire,” the DIG told reporters, adding that a major search operation had been launched. “Security forces and police are conducting a joint operation. The area has been put on high alert, and investigations are underway from every angle.”
Miranshah, the administrative centre of North Waziristan, lies adjacent to Bannu and has been a hotspot for militant activity for years.
Assistant Commissioner Waliullah had previously received security alerts due to threats from militant groups operating along the nearby Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators, but the region has seen repeated attacks linked to factions of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and condemned the “terrorist ambush.”
He said terrorists “operating with external support” would be eliminated through national consensus, and called for the swift arrest of those responsible.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp resurgence in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021.
Most attacks have targeted security personnel and civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with militant infiltration and cross-border strikes becoming more frequent.
The latest assault underscores the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where targeted killings and ambushes on police have sharply increased throughout 2025. Officials say additional security measures are being deployed to protect government personnel and law enforcement agencies in the troubled region.
