Islamabad: A brutal terrorist assault on a police training centre in northwestern Pakistan has left at least twenty-three people dead, including security personnel and civilians, in one of the deadliest militant attacks in recent months. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for the coordinated assault that shook the nation’s security establishment.
The attack unfolded late Friday night at a police training facility located in Dera Ismail Khan district of Pakistan’s volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Militants armed with explosives and automatic weapons stormed the complex after ramming a truck laden with explosives into the main gate, triggering a massive blast that shattered the compound’s defences.
As the perimeter collapsed, heavily armed gunmen entered the premises and opened fire indiscriminately at police trainees and staff. Chaos ensued as trainees scrambled for cover while the attackers advanced through the compound. The intense gunfight between militants and police personnel lasted for more than five hours, shaking nearby residential areas and leaving a trail of destruction.
Elite commandos from Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Al-Burq units were deployed to contain the attackers. According to official sources, seven police officers were killed and thirteen others sustained injuries during the confrontation. Security forces killed six militants during the operation, recovering a large cache of weapons and ammunition from the site.
Authorities said that rescue teams worked through the night to evacuate the wounded and retrieve the bodies. Ambulances and emergency personnel faced difficulties reaching the site due to the ongoing exchange of gunfire. The wounded were shifted to nearby hospitals where several remain in critical condition.
The carnage was not limited to Dera Ismail Khan. In a disturbing pattern of coordination, multiple attacks were reported across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the same night. Eleven paramilitary soldiers were killed in an ambush along the province’s border regions, while five others, including three civilians, died in a separate armed clash in Bajaur district.
With these incidents combined, the total death toll from the wave of violence rose to twenty-three, including twenty security personnel and three civilians. Officials described the attacks as “well-coordinated” and designed to stretch Pakistan’s security forces thin across multiple flashpoints.
Within hours of the assault, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attacks. The militant group, which has intensified its insurgency since 2023, said the attack was “revenge” for what it called Pakistan’s cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies and its military actions in tribal regions.
Although the Pakistani Taliban operates independently, it shares ideological and logistical ties with the Afghan Taliban, raising regional concerns about the re-emergence of cross-border militancy. The timing of the attack days after tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over recent bombings suggests a deliberate escalation meant to challenge Pakistan’s internal security apparatus.
Pakistan’s federal and provincial authorities have declared a state of high alert following the attack. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the “cowardly act of terror” and vowed decisive action against those responsible. Security agencies have launched extensive search operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to track down potential accomplices and dismantle militant hideouts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to convene a high-level security meeting to assess the deteriorating situation in the border provinces. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir has pledged that the military will “respond with full force” to the growing threat posed by the TTP.
Friday’s massacre is a chilling reminder of the persistent threat that militant groups continue to pose to Pakistan’s stability. Despite multiple counterterrorism campaigns and intelligence operations, the TTP and its affiliated networks remain active in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.
The attack on a police training centre symbolizing the very institution responsible for internal law enforcement underscores the militants’ intent to erode state morale and spread fear. Analysts warn that unless Pakistan strengthens border security and addresses the growing nexus between militant groups, similar large-scale attacks could recur.
Funeral prayers for the slain police officers and civilians are expected to be held today with full state honours. Grieving families gathered outside hospitals and police lines as the nation mourns yet another tragedy born of violence and extremism.
The latest attack adds to Pakistan’s mounting security concerns, revealing a grim truth despite years of counterterrorism operations, militant networks continue to thrive, challenging the state’s authority and the region’s fragile peace.