Senior Police Official Survives IED Attack in Shangla

  • The attack was executed using an improvised explosive device.
  • A special branch officer’s personal vehicle suffered damages.
  • The area was promptly cordoned off by law enforcement for investigation.

SHANGLA: In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district, a high-ranking police official narrowly avoided injury in an attack involving a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) on Saturday.

Sources within the police have confirmed that District Police Officer (DPO) Shangla, Shah Hassan, along with his accompanying personnel, were unharmed in the blast. However, a privately-owned vehicle belonging to an official from the special branch was damaged.

Immediately following the incident, law enforcement agencies secured the site and initiated a comprehensive search operation aimed at capturing those responsible.

In a separate incident last year, on March 26, a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals was attacked in Besham city, Shangla, resulting in the deaths of six people, including five Chinese citizens.

Data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) indicates a significant increase in terror attacks across the country in January 2025, with a surge of 42% compared to the previous month.

The report from the think tank noted at least 74 militant attacks nationwide, leading to 91 fatalities, which included 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Furthermore, 117 individuals were injured, comprising 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was identified as the province most severely impacted, followed by Balochistan. Within the settled districts of KP, militants perpetrated 27 attacks, causing 19 deaths, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.

The tribal districts of KP (formerly FATA) experienced 19 attacks, resulting in 46 fatalities, among them 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.