IED blast in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kills six policemen including SHO; armored vehicle blown apart

Peshawar (The Uttam Hindu): A major terror attack targeting police personnel took place in Pakistan’s troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least six policemen, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gomal Police Station, were killed in a powerful IED blast in Tank district. The explosion was so intense that the police armored vehicle was completely destroyed and blown into pieces.

According to police officials, the blast occurred near the Kot Wali area, around 25 kilometers from Tank district headquarters. Terrorists had planted an improvised explosive device along the roadside and detonated it as the police vehicle passed by. The vehicle belonged to Gomal Police Station.

After receiving information, additional police forces rushed to the spot, but by then the SHO and five other policemen had lost their lives. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers.

So far, no militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security agencies suspect that the incident may be linked to retaliation against ‘Operation Sarbakaf’. The operation was launched last year by Pakistani security forces to curb rising terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, dismantle terror networks, and eliminate militant hideouts in border areas.

Local media reports suggest that joint raids by the army and police over the past month led to the recovery of weapons and explosives, which may have angered militant groups.

The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to deteriorate. This is not the first such incident in the region. Last year, a bomb blast during a cricket match at a stadium in the province killed one person and injured several others, highlighting militants’ intent to spread fear and insecurity among civilians. Following the latest attack, security across the region has been further tightened.