Four people died Thursday when unidentified gunmen sprayed an ambulance with bullets in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The vehicle was transporting patients when it came under fire, turning a medical transit into a crime scene.
Police confirmed the attack occurred in the jurisdiction of the Domel police station. The victims, including the driver and passengers, died at the scene. Initial reports suggest the assailants fled immediately after the shooting, leaving the vehicle riddled with bullet holes along the roadside.
Security forces cordoned off the area within minutes, launching a search operation to track the attackers. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault as of Thursday evening.
The incident underscores the volatile security environment in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Bannu has seen a recent uptick in targeted attacks, complicating efforts by local administration to maintain order. Ambulances, typically protected by the neutrality of their mission, are increasingly caught in the crossfire of regional instability.
Local residents gathered at the scene, expressing outrage over the targeting of medical transport. Hospital officials in Bannu have not yet released the identities of the deceased, pending notification of their families.
The attack remains under investigation as police collect forensic evidence from the site. Whether this was a targeted hit or a random act of violence remains the primary question for investigators tasked with securing the district’s highways.
