March 15, 2026
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Police officers took to protesting along the Indus Highway after an IED attack on a police vehicle killed at least 6 policemen. The incident happened on Friday March 13, within the jurisdiction of the Shadi Khel Bettani police station in Lakki Marwat. The police vehicle came under attack while it was on patrol along the Shadi Khel–Masti Khel road.
During the patrol, the vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) near the Rasul Khel check post. As a result of the blast, six police personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO), were martyred, while one officer was injured.
Khalid Khan, president of the Police Aman Committee, said that in response to the incident the Peshawar–Karachi Indus Highway and roads leading to Punjab had been closed to traffic since the previous night. He said passenger vehicles were being allowed to pass until Eid, however all loaded transport vehicles had been stopped and were not being allowed to proceed. He advised heavy transport operators to avoid using the Lakki Marwat route.
He further said that Lakki Marwat police were fighting to protect the public and maintain peace and therefore should be provided with modern weapons and facilities to effectively combat terrorism.
According to Rescue 1122, the six police personnel who lost their lives in the explosion were SHO Sadr Azam, Constable Shah Bahram, Constable Shah Khalid, Constable Haji Muhammad, Constable Gulzada, and Constable Sakhi Zada, while Constable Insafuddin sustained serious injuries.
Rescue 1122 said that as soon as information about the explosion was received, emergency teams rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies of the deceased officers and the injured personnel to a nearby hospital.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also took notice of the incident and strongly condemned the attack. The Chief Minister directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to submit a detailed report on the blast.
Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives, the Chief Minister termed the martyrdom of police personnel, including the SHO, in the blast deeply tragic. He paid tribute to the sacrifices of the martyred officers and said the provincial government stood in full solidarity with the bereaved families.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed deep grief over the killing of the police personnel. He extended heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and said that the sacrifices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police for maintaining peace in the country would always be remembered.
The governor said such cowardly acts of terrorism could not weaken the nation’s resolve. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured police official and said the sacrifices of the police and security forces would not go in vain. He reaffirmed that the collective struggle against terrorism would continue until it is completely eradicated.
Apart from provincial officials, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the militant attack near a police van in Lakki Marwat and said that the sacrifices of security forces would never be allowed to go in vain. He added that the government remained determined to eliminate terrorism from the country.
Rising violence in Lakki Marwat
Lakki Marwat, a southern district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has increasingly become a battleground marked by militancy and lawlessness, where clashes between militants and security forces have become frequent and civilians are often caught in the crossfire. Over the past year and a half, incidents of violence have become routine, with bullet-riddled bodies of civilians sometimes being found in the area.
Militants have been actively targeting security forces, police personnel, and civilians who resist the Taliban. In response to the deteriorating security situation, an armed peace committee comprising local civilians with police support has been formed to help contain militant activity in the area. Militants, however, have also been targeting members of these committees as well as police personnel, leading to cycles of attacks and retaliation.
Recent incidents further highlight the deteriorating security situation in the district. According to reports, on Saturday a blast in a market in the Manjiwala area of Lakki Marwat killed two people and injured ten others. Among the injured was reportedly the brother of the head of a local police peace committee.
Following this incident, the bodies of two individuals were found near Manjiwala Road on Sunday. According to the police’s initial report, the two men were brothers of a local commander of a banned militant organization.
Similarly, on Monday the body of an unidentified man was discovered in the Tajazai area, while on Tuesday a quadcopter drone reportedly attacked a populated area in Takhti Khel, injuring five young girls.