Police constable martyred in IED attack on police van in KP's Karak

LAKKI MARWAT: A police constable tragically lost their life and six others sustained injuries on Monday after an improvised explosive device (IED) was deployed to target a police patrol van in Karak district, a region within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Karak District Police Officer's (DPO) spokesperson Shaukat Khan revealed that the incident took place during a search and strike operation in the Ghol Dam area, where officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police were engaged in their duties.

Khan disclosed that the terrorists had concealed the IED along the roadside, which subsequently exploded upon the police patrol's approach. The DPO's spokesperson confirmed that the blast had severely damaged the van and resulted in the martyrdom of one constable instantly. Following the explosion, DPO Imran Khan, supported by additional security forces, proceeded to the scene and swiftly evacuated the deceased constable and the injured personnel from the van.

They were subsequently transported to the District Headquarters Hospital. Later, DPO Imran Khan personally assessed the condition of the injured officials at the hospital. According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS)' Annual Security Report 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province experienced a sharp increase in terrorist activities in the previous year.

The report highlighted a substantial rise in fatalities from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, representing an absolute increase of 711 deaths, which accounted for more than 82 percent of the overall national rise, signifying a nearly 44 percent surge in violence compared to the previous year.