Islamabad, March 19 – An assistant sub-inspector of the Elite Force was killed by unknown gunmen in the Mano Banda area of Gandigar in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, local media reported on Thursday, citing police.
Bacha Yousaf Khan was targeted outside his residence. He was immediately taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. According to police sources, Khan was on his way to the mosque to offer prayers when he was targeted, Dawn reported.
After the incident, a large contingent of police reached the site, cordoned off the area, and began a search operation to find the attackers. The Gandigar police have registered a case against the unknown assailants and are investigating the matter. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last week, at least six police personnel were killed and one injured in a blast near a police vehicle in the Bettani tribal area of Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to a spokesperson for the local police, the explosion took place near a police mobile, resulting in the death of six police personnel and injuries to one policeman, Geo News reported.
On March 8, a senior officer of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) was killed after unidentified assailants opened fire at him in the Killi Ismail area of Quetta, Pakistan, local media reported.
Police said Inspector Metha Khan, who recently joined CTD, was shot by armed men when he was passing through the Killi Ismail area on March 8, Dawn reported. A senior police official stated that the CTD officer died on the spot after the armed men on motorcycles opened fire at him. The official further said that the gunmen escaped from the scene after the incident.
Meanwhile, a report released by an Islamabad-based think tank revealed that combat-related deaths in Pakistan increased by 30 per cent in February, due to a rise in suicide attacks across the country.
A report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed that 470 deaths and 333 injuries were documented in February. The victims include 96 civilians, 80 security forces personnel, and 294 militants. The injured include 259 civilians, 50 security forces personnel, and 24 militants, Dawn reported.
These figures show a 74 per cent increase in the deaths of security forces personnel, a 32 per cent increase in civilian deaths, and a 21 per cent surge in militant deaths compared to January.
As many as 53 security forces personnel and six civilians were killed, while 35 security personnel and 48 civilians were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in February. Three suicide bombing incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the deaths of 17 people, including 14 security forces personnel, and the injuries of 20 people.
As many as 34 people were killed and 165 others were injured in a suicide bombing incident in Islamabad. Furthermore, two police personnel were killed and four others were injured in a suicide bombing in the Bhakkar district of Punjab province, Dawn reported. The eight suicide attacks reported in January and February this year represent nearly half of the total number of incidents reported for the entire year 2025, when 17 such incidents were reported.
According to the data released by PICSS, the first two months of 2026 witnessed 831 combat-related deaths, including 536 militants, 169 civilians, and 126 security forces personnel.