Pakistan: Policeman Killed, Three Injured in Suicide Blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Islamabad: A police officer was killed and three others were injured in a suicide attack targeting a security vehicle in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, local media reported.

According to Asif Hassan, spokesperson for the Lakki Marwat District Police Officer, a Tajori police mobile was hit by a suicide bomber, resulting in the death of Head Constable Alauddin. He added that an accomplice of the bomber managed to escape, prompting a search operation in the area, Dawn reported.

Pakistan has seen a surge in terror-related incidents over the past year, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ending its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

On November 24, a soldier was injured when armed gunmen attacked a security forces vehicle on a link road in Domel town of Bannu district. The injured soldier was shifted to a hospital in Bannu cantonment. Security forces and police later launched a joint search operation, during which several militants were reportedly killed or injured, Dawn reported. Authorities also cordoned off the area to capture the fleeing attackers.

In another incident on November 8, a police officer named Azad Khan was injured when unidentified assailants targeted a checkpost in the Tangi area of Khar tehsil. He was hit by a bullet fired from an unknown direction.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) revealed in its latest quarterly security report that Pakistan witnessed a 46 per cent rise in violence in the third quarter of 2025.

According to the report:

• Pakistan recorded 901 fatalities and 599 injuries across 329 incidents of violence during Q3 2025.

• Between January and September 2024, the country reported 1,527 fatalities.

• In the same period of 2025, fatalities surged to 2,414, marking a 58 per cent increase.

The CRSS noted a shift in the source of fatalities:

• In 2024, 1,022 deaths resulted from terror attacks and 505 from security operations.

• In 2025, 1,265 fatalities came from intensified security operations — over half of all deaths — indicating an escalated state response against militants.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remained the most volatile regions:

• KP accounted for 71% of fatalities (638 deaths) and 67% of incidents (221).

• Balochistan contributed 25% of fatalities (230) and 85 incidents.

• Violence levels in other regions stayed comparatively low.

With inputs from IANS