PESHAWAR – A potential terror attack on the Gambila police station in Lakki Marwat was thwarted late Wednesday night after vigilant police officers spotted suspicious movement near the premises and immediately opened fire, forcing the attackers to retreat, according to police sources.
No casualties were reported among the security personnel during the incident. In a statement issued Thursday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed commended the officers for their “exceptional alertness, professional readiness, and swift, courageous response.”
A search operation is currently underway in the surrounding areas to trace the suspects and locate any possible hideouts associated with the foiled assault.
The attempted attack comes amid a spike in violence across the country. In a separate incident, nine civilians were found dead in Balochistan after being abducted by militants on Thursday evening.
According to officials, the bullet-riddled bodies of the victims—believed to be labourers—were recovered overnight from a mountainous area in the southwestern province. The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the killings, alleging the victims were acting as informants for Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the abductions, stating the passengers were taken from two buses. He added that security forces had earlier thwarted three separate insurgent attacks on the same day.
Rind accused neighbouring India of supporting the militants involved in the Balochistan attacks, echoing broader concerns from national security officials.
Earlier Friday, the military’s top brass vowed a decisive response against foreign-backed militant proxies, following a high-level security meeting in the wake of rising cross-border terrorism in Balochistan.
The recent surge in militant activity comes in the aftermath of heightened regional tensions and Pakistan’s claimed military gains against Indian-backed elements.
