ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s volatile northwest erupted in chaos as militants hammered three police outposts in Peshawar with grenades and gunfire, leaving two officers and six others wounded. Local media outlets broke the news Sunday, painting a grim picture of deteriorating law and order.
Dawn newspaper detailed the Saturday night onslaught on Mattani Police Station, Badhaber Station, and Sarra Khawra Checkpost. Attackers struck with precision, using hand grenades lobbed from Mera Mashokhel Road into Badhaber premises, injuring one cop. Mattani bore dual-front assaults, while Sarra Khawra saw the heaviest toll.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of pandemonium as gunfire echoed through the night. Police retaliated fiercely, preventing the militants from overrunning the facilities.
SP Arshad Khan of Saddar Division highlighted the attackers’ high-tech arsenal: modern firearms, grenades, and infrared-equipped night vision cameras. ‘They escaped post-assault, but our search teams are combing the area,’ he stated.
The attacks come amid a surge in militancy. Just days prior, a Kohat police convoy escorting court prisoners was ambushed Tuesday, claiming seven lives – a DSP, inspector, four constables, and one suspect. Attackers torched the vehicle afterward.
Monday’s horrors unfolded in Karkh’s Badarkhel when gunmen targeted an ambulance carrying drone-attack casualties from Dargah Shahidan checkpost. Three federal constables died, with five initially wounded and two medics hurt.
District Police Officer told Geo News the quadcopter strike preceded the ambulance hit, signaling coordinated terror tactics. Since the TTP-government truce ended in 2022, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become a hotspot for such brazen operations, challenging Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and raising fears of renewed insurgency.