Two armed suspects arrested after firing on police patrol in Karak

PESHAWAR: Police arrested two armed suspects, including one who was injured, after a patrolling team came under fire in the Tor Dhand area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district, according to the district police officer’s spokesman.

Shaukatullah, the spokesman for the district police officer, said the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the City police station while the police party was carrying out routine patrol duty.

He said the police signalled two men riding a motorcycle to stop, but they allegedly responded by opening fire as they tried to flee. “When the cops signalled two suspects travelling on a motorcycle to stop, they instead opened fire in a bid to escape,” he said.

According to the spokesman, police personnel returned fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire. He said District Police Officer Imran Khan sent additional personnel after being informed of the attack on the patrol team.

Shaukatullah said that once the firing ended, police began a search and clearance operation in the area and took both suspects into custody. “When the exchange of fire stopped, police launched a search and clearance operation and captured two suspects, one in injured condition, and disarmed them,” he said.

He added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the suspects, while the injured man was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The spokesman said DPO Imran Khan, Superintendent of Police Investigation Kamal Hussain and Deputy Superintendent of Police Yousaf Khan also reached the site after the incident. He said the officers commended the policemen for their bravery and “result-oriented actions” against the suspects.

Security situation in KP

The arrest comes amid continued militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a report issued by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies, Pakistan recorded a sharp rise in militant violence in 2025 despite record militant deaths. Terrorist attacks increased by 34 per cent, while terrorism-related fatalities rose by 21 per cent compared to the previous year.

In recent months, several parts of KP, including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur, have seen a series of attacks targeting police personnel.

Last week, security forces killed 22 terrorists during a joint intelligence-based operation in KP’s Khyber district. Earlier this month, at least five policemen, including an officer, were injured in an explosion in Shahbazkhel town in Lakki Marwat.

Last month, security forces killed 13 terrorists in five separate operations across the province. Those operations followed a suicide attack during an intelligence-based operation in Bannu in which a lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred.