In a shocking escalation of violence, unknown gunmen attacked key installations along Pakistan’s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two officials and injuries to two more. The assault targeted the Yarik police station and a nearby customs office, both strategically positioned on the CPEC route snaking through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to police briefings, the attackers wielded automatic rifles, spraying bullets indiscriminately. Among the fallen were Customs official Israr Khan and police constable Mohammad Bilal. Hazrat Umar and Khayal Mohammad, the wounded officers, received immediate medical attention at a local trauma unit.
The militants didn’t stop there—they fired upon passenger buses carrying civilians along the corridor and torched a customs vehicle, amplifying terror in the vicinity. Responding security teams exchanged fire, compelling the attackers to retreat into the rugged terrain. Reinforcements arrived swiftly, initiating a comprehensive manhunt across surrounding areas.
This brazen strike comes amid a surge in militancy in the region. Days ago, armed men killed four policemen, including an SHO, in a similar ambush near Paniala. A tragic suicide blast at a wedding earlier this year further claimed five lives. Meanwhile, CTD operatives reported neutralizing eight terrorists in a parallel raid, recovering arms caches, though three of their own were hurt. As investigations probe the CPEC attackers’ motives—possibly linked to anti-state elements—Pakistan faces mounting pressure to secure its economic lifeline to China.