Four people died Tuesday, December 2, 2025, when gunmen opened fire on a government vehicle traveling through northwestern Pakistan, killing a senior district official, two police officers, and a civilian in an attack that highlights the growing security crisis facing the region.
Shah Waliullah, the Assistant Commissioner of North Waziristan, was traveling with his security team on Miranshah Road near Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when armed attackers ambushed his vehicle around 10 a.m. The assault killed Waliullah, along with police constables Sher Rehman and Syed Rehman, and a pedestrian identified as Uzir Rehman. Three people were injured in the attack, including two police officers and the driver, who were taken to District Headquarters Hospital Bannu for treatment.
The attackers seized weapons from the wounded officers before setting the vehicle on fire and fleeing the area. The attack happened in the Masoomabad Mamand Khel area, where the road passes through territory known for militant activity. Police blocked off the area immediately after the assault and launched a comprehensive search operation to locate those responsible.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi spoke out against the attack and requested a detailed report from the provincial police chief. In a statement issued from Peshawar, Afridi characterized the assault as a “highly tragic incident” and said that anti-state elements could not weaken the nation’s resolve through such actions. The chief minister pledged that authorities would bring the perpetrators to justice and directed officials to ensure the injured received immediate medical care. He emphasized that the fight against terrorism would continue with stronger determination and that the sacrifices of those killed would not be forgotten.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack. However, authorities suspect involvement by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, a militant organization that has been blamed for numerous previous attacks against government officials and security forces in the region. Kashif Nawaz, spokesperson for the Regional Police Office, confirmed the attack occurred within the jurisdiction of Cantt police station in Bannu district.
The assault on Waliullah’s vehicle came just one day after a suicide bombing in the nearby Lakki Marwat district killed a police officer and wounded six others. That Monday attack targeted a police vehicle, representing part of a pattern of escalating violence against law enforcement throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to police reports, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province experienced over 600 terror incidents during the first eight months of 2025 alone. These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 79 police officers and 138 civilians, demonstrating the severity of the security situation in Pakistan’s northwestern region.
The violence has intensified dramatically since November 2022, when Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terminated a ceasefire with the Pakistani government that the Afghan Taliban had brokered. Following the breakdown of peace negotiations, the militant group vowed to target security forces, police, and other law enforcement personnel across the country.
Terrorist attacks have increased sharply in Pakistan’s border provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since August 2021, when the Afghan Taliban regime seized control of Afghanistan. The militant group’s takeover provided renewed sanctuary and resources to Pakistani Taliban fighters who had previously operated from Afghanistan’s rugged border regions to plan and execute cross-border attacks into Pakistan.
The surge in violence has placed a significant strain on diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to operate freely from Afghan territory and launch attacks across the border. The Afghan government in Kabul has consistently denied these allegations, creating ongoing tensions between the neighboring countries.
Recent confrontations between the two nations have escalated into cross-border military exchanges, with Pakistani forces conducting strikes in response to attacks they attribute to militants operating from Afghan soil. These military actions have complicated regional security dynamics and hindered cooperation on counterterrorism efforts that both countries face.
DIG Bannu condemned the attack on Waliullah as a “cowardly act” and assured residents that law enforcement would arrest those responsible for the assault. Police have begun collecting evidence from the attack site and are conducting interviews with witnesses as part of their ongoing investigation into the incident.
The Bannu district, where the attack occurred, sits in a strategically sensitive area near the border with North Waziristan. This region has historically served as a stronghold for various militant groups. The district has experienced numerous attacks on government officials and security personnel in recent years as militants attempt to destabilize local administration and challenge state authority in the area.
