PESHAWAR: Six law enforcement personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred after a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district on Tuesday.

A senior police officer told Dawn that six police personnel — the DSP, an inspector and four constables — were martyred when the vehicle, which was transporting two individuals for a court appearance, was attacked.

He added that one of the two individuals was also killed in the attack. The attackers also torched the vehicle after the ambush.

Earlier in the day, state-run APP reported that heavy firing by armed assailants targeted the DSP of Lachi police station near Shakardara Road.

Following the attack, additional police contingents were dispatched to the area, and a search operation was launched to apprehend the attackers.

Authorities have cordoned off the area, while investigations into the incident have begun.

Condemnations

In a statement, President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the terrorist attack. Paying tribute to the fallen police personnel, he expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to their families.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also strongly condemned the terrorist attack.

The governor paid glowing tribute to the DSP and other police officials who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty and prayed for their elevated ranks. He also extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured police personnel.

Kundi noted that the law and order situation in KP’s southern districts had deteriorated significantly. He said the police were fighting on the front lines in the war against terrorism and rendering immense sacrifices.

The governor termed the sacrifices of police officers and soldiers for establishing peace a source of pride for the nation.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, as per a statement issued via the PPP’s media cell.

As per the statement, Bilawal paid tribute to the KP police for their “unwavering resolve and sacrifices in the war against terrorism”.

KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

On Monday, three Federal Constabulary (FCN) men were martyred in a terrorist attack in KP’s Karak district, officials said.

According to Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan, Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the site of the incident, but their ambulances were ambushed by the terrorists near Ghole Banda Dam.

As a result, three FCN personnel were martyred, and three Rescue 1122 officials were injured, while the ambulances caught fire and were destroyed.

Last week, a terrorist attack involving an explosive-laden vehicle on a checkpost in KP’s Bajaur district martyred 11 security personnel. The military’s media wing said that an “innocent young girl” was also martyred during the incident, while another seven people were also injured, including women and children.

Additional input by APP