The attack, as per initial reports, took place after 2am when unidentified men travelling in a white double cabin vehicle opened indiscriminate fire on the policemen after being signalled to stop.
Constables Mujahid Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed embraced martyrdom whereas Sub-Inspector Farooq Bacha was left seriously injured with five bullet wounds but managed to reach the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). SI Bacha's personal driver was also killed in the attack.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the martyred policemen's funeral prayer was offered at Police Lines early in the morning with the Excise Department and police officers in attendance.
(CCPO) Qasim Khan and other officials also attended the funeral.
Expressing regret on the incident, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has issued directives for the arrest of those involved in the attack.
"The provincial government will not leave the families of the martyrs alone. All possible assistance will be provided to the families of the martyrs," he reassured, adding that justice would be ensured for the martyrs' families.
Meanwhile, the KP chief secretary has sought a report on the gun attack. Underscoring that the excise officials were fighting a war against drugs and smuggling in the province, the official said that their sacrifices would not go in vain.
The incident comes as the province reels under an alarming surge in terror incidents and attacks, especially on security personnel in recent months.
A day earlier, District Police Officer (DPO) Shangla Shah Hassan was targeted in a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) attack. The police officer, however, remained safe in the explosion.
The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.
KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP's settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.
Police on Sunday killed three terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district during a search operation, according to a statement from the province’s inspector general of police (IGP).
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
According to IGP Zulfikar Ahmed’s statement, operations are being carried out at the district level in KP to eliminate terrorists.
“In Lakki district, police are facing more cowardly acts by terrorists, to which they are giving a strong and effective response,” he was quoted as saying.
“Noting the presence of terrorists within the limits of Tajuri police station last night, the local police and the peace committee chased them,” the IGP’s statement read. “Lakki police, the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Quick Response Force launched a search operation.”
A separate statement from Lakki police said that the operation took place at 10:45am this morning in the Madozai forest and was led by District Police Officer Jawad Ishaq.
The IGP’s statement read, “In the operation, 20 to 25 terrorists were encountered within the limits of Tajuri and Bargai police stations. Heavy weapons were used by both sides in this two-hour long battle.
“The police fought very bravely and killed three terrorists without suffering any losses,” the IGP was quoted as saying. “Upon learning that, several injured terrorists fled the scene and a search operation was launched.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Lakki police for the successful “search and strike operation” in a statement from his office posted on X.
“We are proud of the courage and professionalism of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. “[The] KP Police are on the front lines in the war against terrorism [and are] determined to eliminate Khawarji, the statement added, using the term designating terrorists.
Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Picss).
In KP, at least 206 people were killed — including 49 security personnel, 34 civilians, and 123 militants — while 115 were injured, with 63 security personnel and 49 civilians among them, the Picss report said.
