Militant attack on police checkpoint in Pakistan, 5 police killed
Armed militant attacks have increased in Pakistan. Photo: Collected.
Five police officers have been killed and at least 24 others injured in an armed attack on a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan. A gunbattle erupted between security forces and the attackers following the assault, which was ongoing as of the last reports received.
The attack occurred on Wednesday in Hangu district, which borders Afghanistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Local police official Irfan Khan stated that four attackers were killed in the exchange of fire. Several of the injured police personnel are in critical condition and are receiving treatment at a local hospital.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Just hours earlier, the Pakistani military reported that 32 armed militants had been killed in intelligence-based operations conducted over the past 24 hours in the northwestern and southwestern regions.
In recent years, armed violence has increased significantly in Pakistan. The government primarily blames Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the surge. The group has intensified attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Islamabad has long alleged that the Afghan Taliban government provides shelter to TTP members. However, the Kabul government has consistently denied these accusations. (Source: NDTV)
