Militant Attack on Pakistani Police Post Kills 11 Officers, 15 Attackers
Officials in Pakistan say that at least 11 police officers and 15 militants were killed during an overnight attack on a police post in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.
The assault on the Khazina police post in Hangu district began late Wednesday and continued into early Thursday, according to local police official Irfan Khan. The hourlong gunbattle ended after security forces killed the 15 attackers.
Among the dead was senior police officer Diyar Khan, who led reinforcements to the scene. More than two dozen police officers were wounded in the attack, the provincial police statement said.
Police reported that the militants used heavy weapons to target the post. Reinforcements sent to assist were ambushed en route, resulting in damage to an armored personnel carrier before officers managed to fight back.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion often falls on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has increased attacks on security forces in the region in recent months. The TTP is a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban but is considered a close ally.
Pakistan has experienced a rise in militant violence in recent years, much of it attributed to the TTP. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP militants, a charge that Kabul denies.
This incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the region, which has seen repeated cross-border militant activity despite efforts by Pakistani authorities to maintain order.
