SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A police constable was martyred on Wednesday during an exchange of fire between two rival groups in Wana, officials said.

The incident occurred after the two groups came across in the busy Rustam Bazaar and opened fire on each other. As a result, constable Islamuddin Wazir, who was deployed in the bazaar, suffered bullet injuries and died instantly.

Following the incident, panic spread in the market. The funeral prayers of the martyred constable were offered at the Wana Police Lines.

Lower South Waziristan district police officer Mohammad Tahir Shah Wazir and deputy commissioner Masarrat Zaman were also present on the occasion.

Senior officials laid floral wreaths on the coffin and offered prayers for the elevation of the martyr’s ranks.

After the funeral, the body of constable Islamuddin Wazir was transported to his native Sanga village in Shakai tehsil, where he was laid to rest.

Meanwhile, local political and social circles expressed deep sorrow over the incident and called for a strict ban on the display and use of weapons in Rustam Bazaar and other markets to prevent such incidents in the future.

Wana city police station SHO Razaullah Wazir said that two accused involved in the firing had been arrested and an FIR registered against them in the Counter-Terrorism Department police station in South Waziristan.

DSP Wana Imranullah stated that raids were underway to arrest the other accused.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025