ALBAWABA- Five Pakistani police officers were killed on Tuesday, in a coordinated bombing and shooting attack in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border.
Local authorities said militants detonated explosives near a patrol vehicle before opening fire. While no group has claimed responsibility, officials suspect affiliates of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The assault follows a December 18 attack on a military post in North Waziristan, which killed four soldiers and five militants, with Islamabad blaming Afghan-based operatives. Pakistan summoned Afghanistan’s envoy, alleging cross-border planning of the attacks.
🇵🇰 #Pakistan: Five police officers were killed after a group of militants (suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members) opened fire on a police vehicle during a routine patrol near Gargri Police Station earlier today.
According to police sources, the patrol vehicle came under… pic.twitter.com/YTwES5b9n5— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) December 23, 2025
The incident highlights the escalating conflict along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border throughout 2025. Clashes on December 6 reportedly killed five Afghans, according to Kabul, while Pakistan accuses the Taliban of sheltering TTP militants responsible for attacks in Pakistan since 2021. Afghanistan denies involvement, citing civilian casualties from Pakistani airstrikes.
Efforts to resolve tensions, including talks in Doha and Istanbul following heavy clashes in October and November, which left dozens dead and hundreds injured, collapsed without a lasting agreement.
A fragile ceasefire brokered in mid-October has been repeatedly tested by sporadic violations, leaving deep mutual distrust and persistent risks of renewed violence in the region.
