A police constable was killed, and his colleague sustained critical injuries after unidentified gunmen opened fire on their patrol vehicle in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhimber district late Tuesday night.
The attack occurred in a remote area near the border region. The officers were conducting a routine night patrol when their vehicle came under heavy fire from attackers positioned in the shadows of the roadside.
Constable Safeer Ahmed died at the scene. His partner, Constable Zeeshan, survived the initial volley but remains in critical condition. He was rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to a trauma center in Mirpur for specialized care.
Local police cordoned off the area immediately following the incident. Despite a search operation involving additional reinforcements, the assailants managed to vanish into the rugged terrain under the cover of darkness.
“We are treating this as a targeted strike,” a senior district police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to brief the media. “The attackers knew the patrol route and timed the strike perfectly.”
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, security agencies are investigating potential links to cross-border elements, a recurring concern in the sensitive Bhimber sector. The region has seen a spike in security alerts over the past month, though direct attacks on law enforcement in this specific area remain rare.
The provincial government has ordered an immediate inquiry into the security lapse. For now, police checkpoints across the district are on high alert, and vehicles entering or leaving the area are facing rigorous inspections.
The loss of a patrol officer has left the local force shaken, but the command structure is demanding a swift response. As the investigation widens, the focus remains on finding the attackers before they can strike again.
