BANNU: A tragic incident during Taraweeh prayers on Wednesday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district has left the area in mourning after militants raided a mosque and abducted three brothers, two of whom were police personnel.
Eyewitnesses reported that 10–12 armed men entered the mosque, held worshippers hostage, and abducted three brothers before fleeing to an unknown location.
The abducted individuals were identified as Saeed Akhtar, a clerk at the commissioner’s office, and Amjad and Hazratullah serving in the Wazir subdivision’s police force.
Police officials confirmed that the two abducted police personnel were later brutally killed and their bodies were dumped along Marwat Canal Road, while the third brother remains missing.
Local Chairman Masoom Wazir said he received information about two bodies and, upon reaching the site, found both victims covered in blood. The bodies were immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital.
RPO Bannu Sajjad Khan stated that the kidnappers were affiliated with a militant group and that a full-scale operation is underway against them. He vowed that the martyrs’ blood would not be in vain and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice at all costs.
He strongly condemned the terrorists for violating the sanctity of a mosque, describing it as a deeply tragic and reprehensible act.
The RPO added that terrorist elements have previously used mosques as hideouts, but police continue to carry out operations against such groups to ensure the protection of places of worship and the lives and property of citizens.
The senior police official stated that police and other security agencies are jointly conducting search operations at various locations to recover the third abducted individual. He urged the public to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities immediately.
Funeral prayers offered for martyred policemen
Funeral prayers for the two martyred police personnel were offered with full state honours at the Police Lines in Bannu today, bringing the community together in grief and solidarity.
Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Faheem Khan, senior police and civil administration officials, along with a large number of police personnel and local residents, attended the funeral.
A guard of honour was presented to the martyrs on the occasion, while special prayers were also offered for the elevation of their ranks in honour of their sacrifice. Prayers were further offered for the safe and early recovery of their abducted brother, who remains missing.
Earlier on February 21, during an intelligence‑based operation in the district, a lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred in a suicide attack.
The Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security actors coming under attack, prompting targeted operations.
