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Why militants launched an attack on Pakistani police officers
At least 10 police officers lost their lives after their station came under attack in a violent assault in Pakistan.
Security personnel stand guard outside a hospital where injured police officers are treated after a militant attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, February 5, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
An hours-long militia attack on a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, resulted in the tragic loss of at least 10 police officers. Four others were injured in the two-and-a-half-hour battle.
The officers tragically lost their lives following an attack launched by over 30 militants during the late hours of Sunday at 22:00 GMT (03:00 EST). This was disclosed to AFP by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial police chief.
He elaborated that the militants initiated the attack from three distinct directions, gaining brief control of the police station.
Although the police are yet to identify the faces behind the attack, many have speculated the violence to be due to the upcoming elections on Thursday, February 8.
With Pakistan’s elections approaching, the shadow of violence looms over voters, as the Election Commission of Pakistan designates half of the nation’s 90,675 polling stations as either “sensitive” or “most sensitive.”
These classifications reflect varying degrees of risk, determined by the security situation in each region and past incidents of electoral violence.
2023 marked the highest number of recorded fatalities, encompassing security forces, militants, and civilians, since 2017.
This trend is detailed in a report from the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), highlighting a worrying pattern: violent incidents in Pakistan have increased for the third consecutive year.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest overall number, tallying approximately 458 attacks and counter-terrorism operations throughout the year. These incidents resulted in nearly 1,000 fatalities.
