Ten Pakistani police officers killed in Taliban attack near Afghan border

Ten police officers were killed and seven wounded in a militant assault near the Afghan border, officials confirmed on Friday. The Pakistan Taliban, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, which unfolded in the Dera Ismail Khan district of southwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to a senior intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “The intense exchange of fire lasted for nearly an hour. Ten Frontier Constabulary personnel were martyred, and seven were wounded during the attack.” Approximately 20 to 25 armed militants launched the assault on a check post manned by the Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary police support force in the volatile region.

The TTP has escalated its attacks against Pakistani security forces since the return to power of the Afghan Taliban in 2021, often targeting police and military posts in border regions. The Dera Ismail Khan district and broader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have been frequent sites of such violence, with police regularly facing militant threats in their efforts to maintain security.