Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police lost 59 personnel in the line of duty during the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest provincial performance report.
The report highlights that these casualties occurred amid sustained counter-terrorism operations across the province, where police units continued to face repeated terrorist attacks while remaining deployed in high-risk areas.
In addition to the martyrs, 88 police personnel were injured during various operations and terrorist engagements across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Officials say the figures reflect the continued front-line role of KP Police in confronting the terrorists of Fitna al-Khwarij, who carried out multiple attacks on police stations, check posts, and operational units during the reporting period.
The report was presented during a high-level meeting chaired by Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed at the Central Police Office in Peshawar.
The scale of these sacrifices becomes clearer when viewed against a string of deadly attacks reported in recent months. In April, the latest official report itself confirmed the mounting human cost borne by police in the war against terrorism.
In March, ASI Muaz Shinwari was martyred in Landi Kotal after terrorists ambushed and opened fire on him while he was returning home after duty. In South Waziristan’s Lower Wana Bazaar, an improvised explosive device detonated near a police van, martyring one policeman and injuring 26 others, including civilians. Meanwhile, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a police vehicle in Lakki Marwat, martyring six personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO) and three Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) members. One officer, identified as Insaaf-ud-Din, sustained injuries and was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The explosion occurred near the Rasool Khel check post, along the main road connecting Shadi Khel to Masti Khel Bettani, while the police mobile unit was on routine patrol. Among the fatalities were SHO Sadar Azam, driver Shah Bahram, and three other police and ATS personnel.
In February, Head Constable Wahab Ali embraced martyrdom in Kohat in what residents described as a brutal terrorist attack, sparking anger among mourners over the provincial government’s perceived inaction. In Bannu, two police officials abducted by armed men were later martyred, triggering protests and an indefinite sit-in by local residents demanding justice and the recovery of a missing third brother.
In Bajaur, four personnel of the Ababeel Squad were martyred when unidentified gunmen ambushed a police patrol during routine duties. In Dera Ismail Khan, two police officials were martyred in a suicide bombing at the KP–Punjab boundary, where the attacker was identified as an Afghan national. Separate attacks in Hangu and Dera Ismail Khan also left one policeman martyred and another injured.
In January, police and security personnel came under coordinated attacks in Bannu and Drazanda, where one police official and one security personnel embraced martyrdom in separate incidents, including a drone attack. In Tank district, five police personnel, including an Additional SHO, were martyred in a devastating bomb attack targeting an Armoured Personnel Carrier.
These are only some of the incidents reported in recent months and do not represent the full scale of attacks faced by KP Police while defending the motherland against terrorism.
Authorities described the sacrifices of police personnel as a central element of the province’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, noting that law enforcement continues to operate under persistent threat conditions.
