A police patrol in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district was attacked, resulting in the martyrdom of at least four police officials, according to police reports. The attack occurred during a nationwide election in which nearly 128 million people cast their votes amid an internet and cellular outage. The decision to block mobile network services was made by the interior ministry in light of the security situation.
Dera Ismail Khan police chief Rauf Qaisrani reported that bomb blasts and firing targeted a police convoy in the Kulachi area. The area has been cordoned off and investigation is ongoing. Despite reports of grenade attacks in different parts of the province, polling in the Makran division was unaffected with no casualties.
Interim KP Chief Minister Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah condemned the attacks in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. Despite reports of casualties, the exact number and nature of the incidents have not been confirmed by officials. The chief minister affirmed that the law enforcement agencies have the support of the nation and the state, and such incidents will not deter them from performing their duties.
Former lawmaker Mohsin Dawar wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner regarding the security situation in Tappi, North Waziristan, expressing concern over threats issued by militants to locals and polling staff. He urged the election commission to take urgent action to ensure their safety.
Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorism, particularly in KP and Balochistan. Back-to-back blasts resulted in 28 fatalities outside election offices in Balochistan, and JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah survived a gun attack. Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have expressed concern over the violence.
The Centre for Research and Security Studies reported a record-high number of violence-related fatalities and injuries in 2023, with KP and Balochistan being at the forefront of the violence.