Just a day after the shocking abduction of six drivers in Baka Khel, Bannu, another such incident surfaced in Khyber district’s Bara Tehsil, where unknown armed men, allegedly khawarij, kidnapped an excavator driver working on a government road project in the Spin Dhand area.
Eyewitnesses, labourers working at the site, reported that the assailants arrived suddenly, opened fire to create panic, and forcibly stopped the ongoing construction. They then abducted the driver at gunpoint and disappeared towards an unknown location. The identity and motive of the kidnappers remain unclear.
The incident has sparked widespread fear and unrest among workers, many of whom are now refusing to continue work unless their security is guaranteed. In protest, they blocked the road and demanded that authorities take swift action to recover the kidnapped driver and bring the perpetrators to justice.
This follows a similar incident in Baka Khel, Bannu, where unidentified terrorists seized three trailers belonging to an oil and gas company and abducted six drivers, also transporting them to an undisclosed location.
Security forces are now actively investigating both incidents. Officials say these attacks appear to be part of a wider pattern of terrorist intimidation aimed at halting development and creating instability in tribal regions.
A senior security source stated, “We are committed to tracing those responsible and ensuring they face the full force of the law. Such attacks will not be allowed to derail peace or development in the region.”
Authorities have also assured the public and workers that security measures will be enhanced around sensitive infrastructure projects, and efforts are underway to locate and recover the abducted individuals as swiftly as possible.
