Five Pakistani police officers and eight terrorists were killed on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, after their vehicle was struck in a coordinated bombing and gunfire assault in the country’s northwest, provincial authorities reported, as Pakistan faces a renewed wave of militant attacks.
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an Islamist militant organization, later claimed responsibility for the incident. The group has been engaged in armed conflict with the Pakistani government for nearly two decades.
Provincial police reported that the vehicle was initially hit with homemade explosives before the assailants began shooting, killing four officers along with the driver. They later announced that security forces had killed eight of the militants involved.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying: “Police have always played a frontline role in the war against terrorism.”
The strike in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an area that has seen relatively few militant incidents, comes at a time when ties between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan have deteriorated amid rising violence.
The two countries have struggled to uphold a fragile calm after their most serious border clashes since the Taliban took power in October, with Islamabad attributing the surge in militancy to groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory.
According to district police spokesman Shaukat Khan, eight militants were killed during a search operation launched after the attack, as reported by the local Dawn newspaper. A large contingent of security forces has been sent to the area to track down the terrorists.
Islamabad says a recent spike in violence in Pakistan is the result of militants using Afghan territory to coordinate attacks on its security forces across the border. Kabul rejects the accusation, insisting that Pakistan’s security challenges are issues it must address internally.
The assault marks the latest in a sharp escalation of militant violence that has plagued Pakistan throughout 2024 and into 2025. Security analysts have documented a significant uptick in attacks targeting security forces, particularly in the northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan. Earlier this year, multiple incidents resulted in dozens of casualties among police and military personnel, with attacks ranging from roadside bombings to coordinated assaults on security installations.
The Pakistani Taliban has intensified operations since ending a fragile ceasefire with Islamabad in late 2022. The group, which shares ideological ties but maintains organizational independence from Afghanistan’s Taliban government, has exploited the porous border region to launch strikes against Pakistani targets. Intelligence officials estimate that several thousand TTP fighters operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, though precise numbers remain disputed.
The conflict between the TTP and Pakistani security forces traces back to 2007, when various militant factions coalesced to form the umbrella organization. The group emerged in response to Pakistan’s military operations in the tribal areas following the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and the country’s alliance with the United States in the war on terrorism. Over nearly two decades, the insurgency has claimed tens of thousands of lives, including civilians, security personnel, and militants.
Pakistan launched several major military operations against the TTP, most notably Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014, which temporarily weakened the group’s capabilities and forced many fighters across the border into Afghanistan. However, the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021 fundamentally altered the dynamics, providing the TTP with renewed safe havens and operational space.
The deteriorating relationship between Islamabad and Kabul has complicated counterterrorism efforts. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that Afghanistan’s Taliban government take action against TTP sanctuaries, while Afghan officials maintain they cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s internal security situation. Cross-border tensions have occasionally erupted into military confrontations, with both sides trading artillery fire and accusations.
Security experts warn that without a coordinated regional approach to address militant sanctuaries, Pakistan faces a protracted period of instability. The northwestern provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, remain particularly vulnerable to attacks as militants exploit difficult terrain, tribal dynamics, and cross-border mobility.
The human toll continues to mount, with police forces bearing the brunt of frontline confrontations. Tuesday’s attack in Karak district underscores how militant groups can strike even in areas previously considered relatively secure, demonstrating their expanding operational reach and the persistent challenges facing Pakistani security forces.
