In a daring attack on Tuesday, militants launched a deadly assault on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, northwest Pakistan, resulting in the tragic demise of a minimum of 23 soldiers and the injury of 36 others. The assailants executed a well-coordinated strategy, with one individual detonating a truck laden with explosives at the main gate of the police station. Subsequently, armed militants engaged in a gun attack, as reported by a local police officer cited by the Associated Press.
All six attackers met their end in the ensuing shoot-out, according to the Pakistani military. The military clarified, "The attempt to breach the post was effectively thwarted, compelling the terrorists to crash an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack. The resulting explosions led to the collapse of the building, causing numerous casualties."
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the militant group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), asserting that its fighters had eliminated 20 police officers. TJP is perceived as a recent offshoot of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, maintaining close ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The targeted police station, Daraban, is situated in Dera Ismail Khan, a city within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, approximately 230km from the Afghanistan border. This region has witnessed frequent clashes between Pakistan's military and militants, particularly in South Waziristan.
Local authorities disclosed an escalated presence of security forces in Daraban, conducting intelligence operations against militants with the collaboration of local police. Pakistan's caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack as an act of terrorism and acknowledged the challenge of confirming the exact number of officers killed immediately.
The escalation of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been linked to the resurgence of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021. This tragic incident follows a January attack in Peshawar, where a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman targeted a mosque, resulting in the loss of at least 101 lives, predominantly police officers. The recent assault underscores the persistent security challenges confronting Pakistan in the volatile border region.