In a brazen assault on Friday night, gunmen attacked a police training center in Ratta Kulachi, near Dera Ismail Khan city in northwestern Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least seven police officers and six militants. The attack, which involved heavy weapons and a suicide bomber, triggered a prolonged firefight lasting nearly six hours. Officials reported that the assailants attempted to breach the compound after detonating an explosives-laden truck at the facility’s main gate, collapsing part of the boundary wall and killing one officer. Approximately 200 recruits and trainers were present during the assault. Police and paramilitary units eventually regained control, killing six militants and recovering suicide vests, explosives, and weapons. The banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan initially claimed responsibility but later denied involvement. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the slain officers for their bravery. The attack underscores the worsening security situation in the region, which has seen a surge in terrorism since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Pakistani security forces have conducted over 10,000 counterterrorism operations this year, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
Militant attack on Pakistani police station kills at least 7 officers and wounds 13
