What happened
A police vehicle was destroyed by a roadside improvised explosive device in the Bettani subdivision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Friday 13 March 2026, killing seven police personnel.
The spokesman for the district police officer, Qudratullah, said a squad from the Shadikhel police station was on a routine patrol when the attack occurred. Terrorists had planted the IED along the Shahdikhel-Mastikhel road to target the law enforcement personnel. Six policemen — a station house officer and five constables — died at the scene, and a seventh officer who was wounded in the blast later succumbed at a hospital.
Local police accounts identified the dead as SHO Sadr Azam, driver Shah Behram and constables Shah Khalid, Haji Muhammad, Gul Zada, Sakhi Zada and Insaf Uddin. Rescue teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search and evidence-collection operation.
Why it matters
The attack is the latest in a sustained campaign against police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where stations and patrols have been repeatedly targeted. It came as Pakistan’s security forces pressed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against militant infrastructure across the Afghan border, and on the same day the military said it had intercepted drones launched from Afghan territory. Police units, which operate with lighter weapons and vehicles than the army, have been a persistent target.
Reactions
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called the officers’ deaths “extremely tragic” and sought a detailed report from the provincial inspector general of police. He said the provincial government stood in full solidarity with the families of the dead and directed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to the injured.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and expressed “deep sorrow” over the loss of seven police personnel, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. He prayed for the martyrs and for the recovery of the injured, and said the sacrifices of the police and security forces in the fight against terrorism “will never be allowed to go in vain.” President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the bombing; Naqvi called it a “cowardly act” and said “our martyrs are our pride.”
What is still uncertain
No group had publicly claimed responsibility in the reports reviewed. The investigation’s findings, any arrests, and whether the attack is linked to a specific network remained unconfirmed, and police had not announced a motive beyond the targeting of law enforcement personnel.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 13 March 2026.
- Dawn — "7 policemen, including SHO, martyred in attack on police vehicle in KP's Lakki Marwat"Published 13 March 2026 · District police spokesman Qudratullah's account, the Shahdikhel-Mastikhel road IED, the six deaths at the scene and the seventh at hospital.
- Pakistan Today — "SHO among seven policemen martyred in Lakki Marwat IED attack"Published 13 March 2026 · Names of the martyred, the KP chief minister's and prime minister's reactions, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's statement.
- Dunya News — "SHO among seven cops martyred in Lakki Marwat IED blast"Published 13 March 2026 · Bettani Tehsil location, the identification of the SHO as Saddar Azam, and the cordon-and-search response.
