Three Federal Constabulary personnel martyred in Karak terrorist attack

LAKKI MARWAT: Three Federal Constabulary personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district on Monday, officials confirmed.

Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan said the attack began with a quadcopter strike on the Federal Constabulary fort in Dargah Shaheedan, followed by the detonation of four explosive rounds, injuring four personnel. Security forces retaliated, leading to a prolonged exchange of fire.

Rescue 1122 teams responded to transport the injured to a nearby hospital, but the ambulances were ambushed near Ghole Banda Dam. Three Federal Constabulary personnel were martyred in the attack, while three Rescue 1122 officials were injured. The ambulances caught fire and were destroyed, authorities added. Karak District Police Officer Saood Khan also confirmed the deaths.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Asif Khan said two of the injured rescue personnel remain in critical condition.

The attack drew condemnation from Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who called it “cowardly and inhumane” and offered condolences to the families of the martyred personnel. He said targeting ambulances “rejects the teachings of Islam” and stressed that harming human life is unacceptable, especially during Ramazan.

The incident comes amid a rising trend of terrorist attacks in KP. Last week, an explosive-laden vehicle in Bajaur killed 11 security personnel, while on February 18, two Federal Constabulary personnel were injured in Salgazi, Wazir subdivision. In November 2025, three personnel were killed in a suicide attack on the force’s headquarters in Peshawar’s Saddar area.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies’ Annual Security Report 2025, KP witnessed a significant surge in violence last year, with fatalities rising from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025—an increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82% of the net national rise and marking a 44% year-on-year surge in violence in the province.