ISLAMABAD: In a brazen and cowardly terrorist attack this morning,Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants opened indiscriminate fire ontraffic police personnel performing routine traffic management duties onthe Gambila–Sarai Naurang Road near Pur Dil Bego Khel area of Lakki Marwatdistrict. The assault claimed the lives of three dedicated officers,plunging the local community and the entire law enforcement fraternity intodeep grief. The martyred officials have been identified as TrafficIn-charge Jalal of Naurang Circle, Constable Abdullah, and Constable AzizUllah. Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched asearch operation.
According to initial police and intelligence reports, the attackers,believed to be affiliated with the banned TTP faction, used automaticweapons and targeted the policemen at close range around 8:45 am when theofficers were managing traffic flow during peak morning hours. Eyewitnessesreported that the assailants arrived on two motorcycles, firedapproximately 40-50 rounds, and fled towards the nearby hilly terrainwithin minutes. No group has officially claimed responsibility so far, butsecurity officials pointed towards the signature tactics frequentlyemployed by TTP Kharji elements operating in the Bannu-Lakki Marwat belt.
Lakki Marwat district has witnessed a disturbing resurgence of terroristactivities since mid-2024. According to data compiled by the ProvincialDisaster Management Authority and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, the districtrecorded 17 terrorist-related incidents in 2025 alone, resulting in thedeaths of 41 security personnel and civilians. The Gambila-Sarai NaurangRoad, an important link connecting southern districts with the provincialcapital, has become particularly vulnerable due to its proximity tomountainous hideouts frequently used by militants for hit-and-runoperations.
The martyred officers were known for their professionalism and commitment.Traffic In-charge Jalal, aged 42, had served in various traffic unitsacross Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for over 18 years and was due to receive acommendation certificate next month. Constable Abdullah, 29, and ConstableAziz Ullah, 34, were both regarded as hardworking and courteous officerswho regularly interacted with commuters. Their untimely demise has lefttheir families devastated; both constables leave behind young children andelderly parents who depended on their modest salaries.
Condolences poured in from across the country within hours of the tragedy.Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed profound grief andannounced ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 million for each martyr’s family alongwith government jobs for their eligible dependents. Inspector General ofPolice Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directed immediate financial assistance andassured that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Meanwhile,Pakistan Army’s regional command reiterated its commitment to eliminatingthe menace of terrorism from the province.
Security analysts believe the attack is part of a deliberate strategy byTTP to target soft installations and lower-ranking personnel in order tocreate fear, demoralize law enforcement, and divert attention from ongoingmilitary operations in North Waziristan and adjoining areas. During thelast eighteen months, more than 280 policemen and levies personnel havelost their lives in similar targeted attacks across the merged districtsand settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting the persistentsecurity challenge despite multiple clearance operations.
Local traders, transporters and residents of Sarai Naurang and surroundingvillages staged a protest demonstration in the afternoon, demandingfoolproof security arrangements for police and other governmentfunctionaries. Many citizens expressed frustration over the recurringnature of such incidents and questioned the effectiveness of the existingintelligence grid in the region. Community elders have appealed to theprovincial and federal governments to expedite the installation ofadditional security pickets and modern surveillance equipment along thecritical highway.
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The funeral prayers of the three martyrs were offered at the DistrictPolice Lines ground in the evening amid heavy contingents of police andarmy personnel. Thousands of people from different walks of life attendedthe ceremony to pay their last respects. Provincial ministers,parliamentarians, and senior police officers were also present. The bodieswere later shifted to their respective native villages for burial with fullstate honours.
This tragic incident once again brings into sharp focus the heavy pricethat ordinary policemen continue to pay while performing their duties inone of the most challenging security environments in the country. Expertsstress that sustainable peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa requires not onlykinetic military operations but also a comprehensive deradicalizationstrategy, enhanced border management, and socio-economic uplift of theaffected population.
Source: https://www.dawn.com
Tags: Pakistan, TTP, Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Traffic Police
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