Four police personnel, including a Counter-Terrorism Department deputy superintendent of police, were martyred and two terrorists were killed during a search and strike operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district on Thursday. The exchange of fire took place in the Charpara area, where militants had set up a blockade the night before.
According to a statement issued by the KP police, law enforcers launched the Karak police operation at noon on Thursday after terrorists blocked a road in Charpara on Wednesday night. The raiding party moved against the hideout of a terrorist commander, Qaiser Iqbal, and the raid turned into a gun battle.
What happened during the Karak police operation
The operation was led by the deputy superintendents of police of Banda Daud Shah and the CTD. Personnel from the Bomb Disposal Unit, a drone team, Rescue 15 and the Rapid Response Force also took part, reflecting the scale of the response.
Police said the terrorists opened fire as the raiding party closed in on Qaiser Iqbal’s hideout. Two terrorists were killed in the exchange. The four martyred personnel were identified as CTD DSP Imranuddin Khan, Latambar Station House Officer Sub-Inspector Afzal Awan, Constable Kazim and BDU Head Constable Amjad.
The statement said the operation was still under way in the area.
Funeral prayers offered with full honours
Funeral prayers for the four policemen were offered later in the day with full official honours. KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, CTD Additional IG Jawad Qamar, Kohat Regional Police Officer Shakir Hussain Dawar and Kohat Commissioner Parvez Khan Sabt Khel attended, along with the Karak deputy commissioner, the district police officer and the families of the martyrs.
A police contingent presented a final salute, and senior officers laid floral wreaths on the coffins. The IGP paid tribute to the bravery and professional commitment of the martyrs, saying their sacrifice would guide the entire force.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the incident in a statement on social media and expressed sorrow over the loss. “The sacrifices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in the fight against terrorism are unforgettable,” he said, adding that the resolve against terrorism would be further strengthened.
A violent Thursday on two fronts
The Karak bloodshed came on the same day security forces foiled a separate terrorist attack on a construction camp in Gwadar, killing three terrorists in Balochistan. The two operations, hours apart in provinces at opposite ends of the country, underline how stretched Pakistan’s counterterrorism effort has become.
It was also the day the federal apex committee met in Peshawar, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed that the state would eliminate every terrorist from the country and announced Rs160 billion in development funds for the province.
Karak has seen repeated violence in recent weeks. Around 20 days ago, security forces destroyed several terrorist hideouts in a joint operation in the district. In September, two terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in nearby Lakki Marwat, and in August a constable was martyred and six officials were injured when an improvised explosive device hit a police patrol van.
The bloodshed fits a grim national trend. A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies found that violence-linked fatalities across Pakistan rose 83 per cent in the third quarter of 2026, reversing declines seen in the first two quarters. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa together accounted for 98 per cent of those deaths.
Who were the policemen martyred in Karak?
CTD DSP Imranuddin Khan, Latambar SHO Sub-Inspector Afzal Awan, Constable Kazim and BDU Head Constable Amjad lost their lives in the exchange of fire.
What triggered the Karak operation?
Terrorists set up a blockade on a road in the Charpara area on Wednesday night, prompting police to launch a search and strike operation at noon on Thursday.
Is the operation still under way?
Yes. The KP police statement said the operation was continuing in the area at the time of reporting.
Read our coverage of the foiled Gwadar attack and the apex committee meeting in Peshawar.
