The attackers forced the policeman to get out of a rickshaw before opening indiscriminate fire, killing him instantly.
KP Police. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
MIRANSHAH:
A police constable was shot dead by terrorists after he was pulled from an autorickshaw near Lora Bridge in Bannu on Monday while he was on his way to his duty station, District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu Yasir Afridi confirmed.
According to Afridi, Constable Umar Niaz Khan was on his way to DIG Bungalow, where he was posted, when unidentified armed terrorists intercepted the autorickshaw carrying him near Lora Bridge.
He said the attackers forced the police officer out of the vehicle before opening indiscriminate fire, killing him at the scene. The attackers fled immediately after the attack.
Following the incident, police and members of the local peace committee arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the attackers. Investigators collected evidence from the crime scene and began a murder investigation.
Later, funeral prayers for Khan were offered with full official honors at Bannu police lines. The ceremony was attended by police officers, staff and other government officials, who paid tribute to the sacrifice of the slain police officer.
Police also reiterated their commitment to bringing those responsible for the attack to justice.
The killing follows a new wave of terrorist violence in Bannu and neighboring Lower South Waziristan district, where multiple attacks over the past week have highlighted growing security concerns.
In South Waziristan, unidentified terrorists destroyed a government primary school for girls in Sara Ghora area of Barmal Tehsil by planting explosives inside the building overnight, reducing the structure to ruins.
In another attack, terrorists used a quadcopter to drop two improvised explosive devices inside the Haved police station premises, injuring two Frontier Corps personnel and damaging two official vehicles.
Read: A wave of terror shakes Bannu, South Waziristan
In another incident, Nisar Ahmed, principal of Government High School in Mandiu area of Miryan Tehsil, was allegedly abducted by armed men from the school premises, alarming teachers and residents.
Bannu also witnessed other security incidents during the week. A suspected drone strike in Narmi Khel area near Bakakhel police station injured autorickshaw driver Asifullah, while two mortar shells fired towards Bannu cantonment landed on the old ROD ground, causing panic but causing no casualties.
Separately, retired Frontier Corps official Ali Mar Khan was kidnapped from Jani Khel area.
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.
