Pakistan police constable shot dead in Lakki Marwat, KP
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A police constable was shot dead in the Kaichi Kamar area of Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, on Sunday, according to local media reports. The killing is the latest in a series of targeted attacks on law enforcement personnel across Pakistan's restive border provinces.
What Happened in Lakki Marwat
According to Lakki Marwat District Police Officer (DPO) spokesman Qudratullah Khan, armed assailants targeted constable Irfanullah near his residence in the trans-river belt known as the Kurrum Par area. The constable, who was posted in Peshawar, had returned to his native village on leave at the time of the attack.
Irfanullah sustained critical bullet injuries and was declared dead while being transported to a hospital in Serai Naurang town, daily Dawn reported. Following the incident, a police contingent was deployed to the site and a search operation for the assailants was launched.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Attack Days Earlier
The Lakki Marwat killing came just two days after a similar strike in the same province. On Friday, a police constable was killed and two other personnel were injured when armed assailants fired a rocket at a police vehicle at Kangar Jan Bahadur in Bannu city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to The Express Tribune.
The targeted vehicle, from the Fateh Khel checkpoint, was returning to police lines when it came under attack. Bannu DPO Yasir Afridi confirmed that constable (driver) Raza Ali Shah was killed, while two injured personnel were taken to hospital. The assault was followed by firing and explosions, prompting authorities to close Miryan Road to traffic. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search and combing operation.
Balochistan Attack on April 27
Earlier, on 27 April, a police head constable was killed after armed assailants targeted a checkpost in the Huramzai area of Pishin district, Balochistan province. According to Dawn, the attackers opened fire using automatic weapons; police retaliated, and an exchange of fire continued for some time before the assailants fled the scene. An anonymous police official confirmed the head constable's death in the firefight.
Rising Pattern of Attacks on Law Enforcement
These incidents reflect a documented rise in attacks targeting law enforcement personnel across Pakistan, particularly in the border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Security analysts have long flagged the vulnerability of off-duty and transit police personnel in these regions, where militant activity remains persistent. The clustering of three fatal attacks within a single week underscores the scale of the challenge facing Pakistani security forces. Authorities are yet to attribute responsibility for any of these incidents to a specific group.