In a pre-election assault, over 30 militants targeted a police station in northern Pakistan on Monday, resulting in the tragic death of at least 10 officers and injuries to four others, as confirmed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur. The attack on Chaudhwan police station in Dera Ismail Khan district occurred just days before the general election in Pakistan, which has already witnessed numerous attacks on candidates and party supporters.
Gandapur reported a prolonged exchange of fire lasting over two-and-a-half hours as the militants approached from three directions. During the early morning assault, the attackers briefly gained control of the police station.
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The border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have long been targeted by Pakistan Taliban, Islamic State, and other militant groups, aiming at government, security, and civilian targets.
Last week, in a separate incident in the southwest, at least 24 militants were killed in raids by ethnic Baloch separatists on a government facility compound. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a banned separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack, resulting in casualties among security personnel and civilians.
Despite the recent surge in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, Pakistan’s election commission affirmed that the polls would proceed as scheduled on Thursday, February 8. In response to the security concerns, authorities plan to deploy thousands of security personnel nationwide to ensure the safety of voters during the elections.
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