Gunfire in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Claims 13 Lives, Injures Four Police Officers

Peshawar, May 23: A tragic incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has resulted in the deaths of 13 individuals and left four police officers injured during a shootout between police and armed assailants in Bannu.

According to local media reports, the fierce confrontation occurred on Saturday in the Barakzai Akhundkhel area of the Miryan tehsil, where police peace committee members clashed with gunmen.

District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi informed Dawn that 12 assailants were killed during the police operation, while a retired police officer also lost his life. The injured police officers were taken to the Bannu Medical Teaching Institution for treatment.

The spokesperson for the medical institution confirmed that the deceased was identified as a retired member of the Federal Constabulary.

Police sources indicated that gunfire erupted before the officers could reach the police station. In response to the escalating situation, additional forces have been deployed to the area.

Local sources report that a significant number of armed individuals are present in the Barakzai area, contributing to the tense atmosphere.

In recent years, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan have seen a rise in insurgency against the government. The Baloch population has been vocal against the oppression of Pakistani authorities on various platforms.

The government has consistently blamed the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for these attacks. Just a day prior, an unidentified assailant shot a police officer in the Bara tehsil of Khyber district.

Earlier this month, Islamabad issued a “stern protest letter” to Afghanistan following a suicide attack on the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu on May 10, which resulted in the deaths of 15 police officers.

On May 12, a bomb blast in the Lakki Marwat area killed nine people, including two traffic police officers, and injured 33 others. Additionally, a recent explosion in the Wana region of Lower South Waziristan claimed the lives of three individuals, including a tribal chief.