Pakistani police reported that three security personnel were killed and 17 others wounded in an armed clash earlier today (Monday, July 25) in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Gunmen opened fire on Pakistani forces before fleeing the scene.
According to local officials, the attackers managed to escape after the exchange of fire.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, reported that in June alone the country witnessed 78 militant attacks, leaving at least 100 people dead and 189 others injured. Among the victims were 53 security personnel, 39 civilians, six militants, and two members of Pakistan’s local peace committees.
Incidents of this kind have increased significantly since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. Islamabad frequently accuses the Taliban of sheltering groups involved in Pakistan’s insecurity. The Taliban, in turn, reject the allegations and call on Pakistan to address its own internal problems.
