Eight policemen, including SHO, kidnapped after bomb-disposal mission in South Waziristan

• Armed men allegedly abduct police team after successful UXO neutralisation in Sararogha

• Kidnapped personnel include SHO Ahmad Shah and two Bomb Disposal Unit members

• Large-scale search operation launched as authorities race to secure safe recovery

 UPPER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Eight police personnel, including a station house officer (SHO) and members of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), were allegedly kidnapped by unidentified armed men in Upper South Waziristan on Wednesday after successfully neutralising an unexploded ordnance (UXO) in a remote area, prompting authorities to launch a large-scale search and recovery operation.

Confirming the incident, District Police Officer (DPO) Arshad Khan said security forces and police teams had begun extensive efforts across the region to trace the abductors and secure the safe recovery of the kidnapped personnel.

“Those allegedly abducted included Sararogha Police SHO Ahmad Shah and two members of the Bomb Disposal Unit,” the DPO said, adding that the team had been deployed to the remote Partogai area of Sararogha tehsil to neutralise a suspected unexploded ordnance.

According to police sources, the BDU successfully defused the UXO and completed all required procedures at the site. However, while returning from the area, the police team was intercepted by unidentified armed men who allegedly held the personnel hostage and took them to an undisclosed location.

Preliminary information suggests that the assailants had been lying in wait and carried out the abduction after the police team completed its assignment and began its return journey.

DPO Arshad Khan said immediate measures were taken following the incident, with police and security personnel launching coordinated efforts to locate the abductors and recover the kidnapped officials unharmed.

As part of the operation, checkpoints and blockades have been established along key mountain routes, entry and exit points, and other sensitive locations to restrict the movement of the suspected kidnappers.

“The safe recovery of the abducted personnel remains our top priority. All available resources are being utilised, and investigations are underway from every possible angle,” the DPO said.

He added that an initial report had been entered into the daily police register, while further legal proceedings were in progress.

The incident has sparked concern among local residents, with tribal elders, community leaders, and civil society representatives urging authorities to take immediate and effective steps to secure the release of the abducted personnel.

The kidnapping comes amid a noticeable rise in terrorism and security-related incidents in Upper South Waziristan during the past two weeks.

Several shooting incidents have been reported in recent days, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.

According to police and local administration officials, security challenges in the region have intensified in recent weeks, contributing to growing concerns among residents about the overall law and order situation.

Observers note that such incidents pose serious challenges to law-enforcement agencies and adversely affect normal life and public confidence in the area.

Residents have called on both the federal and provincial governments to take urgent measures to improve security, strengthen law-enforcement efforts, and curb the increasing wave of violence in Upper South Waziristan.

After two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May 2026, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.