Six policemen martyred as forces repel DI Khan training school attack

Six brave policemen, including trainees, were martyred, while twelve other policemen and one innocent civilian were injured as security forces and law enforcement personnel repelled a cowardly terrorist attack on the Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on the night of October 10 and 11, 2025, Khawarij belonging to the Indian proxy group Fitna al-Khawarij targeted the Police Training School in a coordinated assault.

“The assailants attempted to breach the perimeter security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Law Enforcement Agencies personnel deployed on duty,” the ISPR said in a statement.

In their desperation, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate of the facility. Despite the blast, police personnel displayed “unwavering courage and professional excellence,” engaging the intruders in intense exchange of fire.

The ISPR confirmed that “three Khawarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated” during the initial encounter, while the remaining two were cornered inside a building complex and later “neutralised by security forces in a deliberate clearance operation with precision.”

“In this intense exchange of fire, six brave policemen including trainees, after putting up a heroic fight, embraced shahadat in the line of duty, while twelve policemen and one innocent civilian also got injured,” the ISPR added.

The statement said the terrorists also “attacked the mosque inside the school complex and not only desecrated the holy place of worship but also barbarically killed Imam Masjid — an innocent civilian who was performing duties of Imam Masjid at the school.”

Following the operation, a sanitisation effort was launched in and around the area to ensure no remaining threats. “The sanitisation operations in the area would continue and perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act will be brought to justice,” the ISPR stated.

Reaffirming national resolve, the military’s media wing said, “The security forces alongside Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further strengthen our unwavering commitment of safeguarding our nation at all costs.”

Read: DG ISPR blames K-P lapses for terror surge

Earlier, Muhammad Imran Khan, Director General of Public Relations (DGPR) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said that approximately 200 police recruits and officers present at the training facility at the time of the attack were safely evacuated. “All blocks of the school and the NADRA office have been cleared,” he stated.

During the operation, security forces recovered suicide vests, grenades, explosives, and other ammunition from the site. One of the attackers was reportedly a suicide bomber.

A day earlier, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry held a press conference in Peshawar to address the deteriorating security situation and rising terrorist activity across Pakistan.

He said the country’s counterterrorism campaign has intensified, with more than 10,000 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa this year alone, resulting in the elimination of nearly 1,000 militants.

Read More: Jaffar Express attack: All terrorists killed; 21 passengers died before clearance operation: DG ISPR

The DG ISPR cautioned that the growing involvement of Afghan nationals in terror incidents has further complicated Pakistan’s security landscape. “Afghanistan is being used as a base for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan,” he said, urging the Taliban government to ensure its soil is not used against Pakistan.

He noted that many militants active in K-P had links to Afghanistan and were using abandoned U.S. weapons left behind after the 2021 withdrawal.

Lt Gen Chaudhry blamed governance failures and the poor enforcement of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the resurgence of terrorism. “The vacuum of bad governance is being filled by the blood of the martyred,” he said, stressing that effective implementation of NAP and improved governance in K-P were crucial to defeating militancy.