5 Pakistani Policemen Killed in Karak District Shooting
Gunmen ambushed a police patrol in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing five officers in an attack near an energy installation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said, as security forces launched a manhunt for the assailants, Asharq Al Awsat reports.
The shooting occurred in the Karak district while officers were conducting a regular patrol close to an oil and gas field, according to local police officials. After opening fire on the vehicle and killing the officers inside, the attackers doused the patrol car with fuel and set it ablaze before fleeing the scene.
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Police chief Noor Wali told the Associated Press that the attackers escaped the area immediately after the assault. A large contingent of security forces later sealed off nearby roads and began search operations in surrounding areas in an effort to locate those responsible.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, Pakistani authorities have frequently blamed similar assaults on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, which is distinct from but aligned with Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Officials say the group has carried out repeated attacks against security forces in the region since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Senior Pakistani officials condemned the killings and pledged accountability. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said those behind the attack would be brought to justice, while provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed condolences to the families of the slain officers and praised their service. Both officials issued separate statements following the incident.
