KP governor calls for united front against terrorism after deadly Tank checkpost attack

• Governor Kundi says more than 1,300kg of explosives used in attack that martyred 15 people, including 14 security personnel

• Calls for stronger coordination between federal and provincial governments to intensify intelligence-based operations

• Vows enhanced support for families of martyrs and injured personnel, praises security forces' resilience and sacrifices.

 DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday said more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the recent terrorist attack on a checkpost in Tank that left 15 people, including 14 security personnel, martyred, as he called for a unified national response to terrorism and urged the federal and provincial governments, security forces and the public to stand together to defeat militant threats and restore lasting peace.

Speaking to journalists at the Regional Police Office in Dera Ismail Khan after attending a security briefing on the law and order situation, Governor Kundi said Pakistan was facing both internal and external security challenges, while its security forces continued to make immense sacrifices to safeguard national sovereignty and protect the lives of citizens.

District Police Officer (DPO) Ziauddin Ahmad of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank DPO Abdul Samad Khan were also present on the occasion.

Kundi described Friday's attack on the Manji Khel checkpost in Tank as a tragic incident in which personnel of the Pakistan Army, police and the forest department embraced martyrdom while performing their duties.

He said more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives had been used in the attack, underscoring the scale and sophistication of the terrorist threat confronting the country.

The governor alleged that India was using Afghan territory through terrorist groups to destabilize Pakistan and claimed that weapons abandoned in Afghanistan by international forces were frequently being used in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Kundi said the people of the province and Pakistan's security forces had demonstrated remarkable resilience, adding that attacks such as the one in Tank could neither weaken the morale of the armed forces nor shake the resolve of the public.

"I met the injured personnel, and their courage and determination are commendable," he said.

The governor said he would convey the recommendations presented by the regional police to the federal government and would also raise with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the provincial government the issue of enhancing compensation and support packages for injured security personnel.

He said the welfare of the families of martyrs and injured personnel remained a collective national responsibility and assured them of the government's continued support.

Calling for closer coordination between Islamabad and Peshawar, Kundi said the provincial government should work shoulder to shoulder with the federal government in the fight against terrorism.

He stressed the need to further intensify intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said he would discuss the matter with the chief minister.

Reiterating that lasting peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the wider region remained a national priority, the governor praised the police for continuing to perform their duties with professionalism and determination despite increasingly challenging circumstances.

Kundi's remarks came two days after the deadly attack in Tank, in which terrorists attempted to breach the perimeter of a joint police checkpost, according to the military's media wing.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the attempt was "swiftly and decisively foiled" by security forces, who eliminated 12 terrorists.

According to the ISPR, the attackers subsequently rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the checkpost's perimeter wall, causing extensive damage to the infrastructure due to the powerful blast.

The attack occurred as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to grapple with heightened terrorist violence. In the latest incident, security forces foiled a suicide bombing in South Waziristan and killed four terrorists, including the suicide bomber.

A monthly security assessment released in early June by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan's security situation deteriorated sharply in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.