Islamabad, Jan 8 — At least two police personnel were injured on Thursday when a police vehicle transporting prisoners was attacked by unidentified assailants in the Bannu area of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local media reported.
According to sources quoted by Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn, the incident occurred on the Domel Link Road when a Hangu police vehicle carrying prisoners for routine court appearances came under attack. Officials from Bannu police said the vehicle was heading towards the court when it was targeted. A source from the Bannu Central Jail administration confirmed that the prisoners were being transported as part of standard legal proceedings.
Following the attack, the driver reportedly altered the vehicle’s route to avoid further danger. The injured police personnel were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Police sources said an investigation has been launched to identify the attackers, while security has been tightened in the area to prevent further incidents.
The attack comes amid a worrying surge in violence targeting law enforcement agencies across Pakistan, particularly in the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In a separate incident earlier this week, at least one person was killed and nine others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a cement factory vehicle in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police said the blast occurred on Begukhel Road near Nawarkhel Mor, and the injured were shifted to City Hospital in Lakki by Rescue 1122 teams.
Meanwhile, a recent security assessment has painted a grim picture of Pakistan’s overall security environment. According to the Pakistan Security Report 2025, published by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the country witnessed a sharp deterioration in security last year. A total of 699 attacks were recorded in 2025, marking a 34 per cent increase over 2024.
The report noted that 1,034 people were killed and 1,366 injured in these attacks, reflecting a 21 per cent rise in fatalities. Security personnel constituted a significant portion of the victims, with police stations, patrols, and checkpoints frequently targeted. The violence was most concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, largely driven by militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
