Two Excise Department officials were martyred on Friday when the Khawarij opened fire on them while they were having breakfast at Hashim Hotel near Mufti Mehmood Hospital on the Dera Daraban Bypass. The hotel owner was injured in the attack and shifted to hospital.
Police said the assailants struck suddenly, leaving both officials critically injured. They embraced shahadat before medical help could arrive. The injured hotel owner remains under treatment. Law enforcement agencies reached the site immediately, cordoning off the area and launching a search operation. Officials described the attack as a cowardly attempt by the Khawarij to target state personnel and spread fear among the public.
Security across the district has been tightened, with enhanced patrolling and manned checkpoints in sensitive areas. The incident follows a series of targeted attacks in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising fresh concerns over the region’s security situation.
