SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Unidentified armed men kidnapped eight policemen, including the SHO of Sararogha police station, and two members of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) in Upper South Waziristan district on Wednesday, a senior official said.

District police officer Arshad Khan confirmed the incident, stating that the abducted personnel had been deployed to the remote Partogai area to neutralise a bomb.

Sources said the BDU personnel defused the explosive device and were returning, along with the police personnel, when the armed men intercepted their vehicle and took those onboard to an undisclosed location.

Following reports of the kidnapping, police launched an operation to trace the abductors and recover the kidnapped police officials safely, the DPO said, adding that checkpoints had been established along key mountain routes, entry and exit points, and other sensitive locations to restrict the movement of the kidnappers.

The DPO said: “The safe recovery of the abducted personnel remains our top priority. All available resources are being utilised, and investigations are underway from every possible angle.”

The kidnapping comes amid a noticeable rise in terrorism and security-related incidents in Upper South Waziristan over the past two weeks. Several shooting incidents were reported in recent days, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.

According to police and local administration officials, security challenges in the region have intensified, contributing to a growing sense of insecurity among residents.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2026