DSP says it is still unclear where the suspected drone came from or who is behind the attack
BAJAUR:
Three people were killed and eight others injured when a suspected drone hit a residential house in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saeedur Rahman confirmed. The Express PK Press Club THURSDAY.
According to Rahman, the incident took place at Pakistan Chowk in Shinkot area of Mamund tehsil, where the house of Syed Wali Jan, son of Ajab Khan, was hit by a suspected drone.
“Women and children were among the eight people injured in the blast, while local sources identified the dead as Ishaq, 15, son of Mirzaman, Imtiaz, 30, son of Bakhtiar, and Muneeba, five, daughter of Bakhtiar. The injured were shifted to Khar district headquarters hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment,” he added.
Learn more: Two schoolboys killed in drone strike in KP’s Bajaur: police
Rahman said an investigation had been launched, but it was not yet clear where the suspected drone came from or who was behind the attack.
“Police and relevant agencies have started collecting evidence from the site and are examining the incident from different angles. Final details on the nature of the explosion and those responsible will be shared once the investigation is completed,” he added.
In May, two schoolboys were killed in a drone strike in Shah Tangi area of Mamund tehsil in Bajaur district. The origin of the quadcopter and those responsible for the attack remained unknown. The same month, three people were also injured in another drone attack on a cricket ground.
The KP remains a key part of the country’s counterterrorism efforts, with security forces regularly conducting IBOs against terrorists. The province saw a significant increase in militant violence last year, with more than 500 attacks reported, a 50% increase from the previous year.
According to a security assessment obtained by The Express PK Press Clubthe KP recorded 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, highlighting the growing militant threat in settled and tribal districts. Despite the increase in attacks, security forces reportedly foiled 320 major strikes, while 137 police officers were killed in the line of duty.
Learn more: The misery of Bannu
The report said that joint operations of KP Police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected militants, while 420 militants were killed in intelligence-led operations.
Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Peshawar were among the districts worst hit by militant violence, with the report citing a series of attacks believed to have been planned and launched from across the Afghan border.
The CTD report also recorded a 56 percent increase in attacks targeting police personnel, from 327 in 2024 to 510 in 2025. During the year, security agencies conducted 2,791 search operations and identified 25 foreign militants, while extortion networks operating in Peshawar and other districts were dismantled, the report said.
