In the troubled region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghanistan border, an unknown group of armed individuals carried out bomb explosions and gunfire attacks on vehicles of security personnel deployed for election security. Four police officers lost their lives, while six others sustained injuries.
Following the bomb blasts, terrorists engaged in gunfire in the area. According to The Express Tribune, the targeted incident occurred near Dera Ismail Khan at the Kalachi Police Station jurisdiction, where police officers, including constable Graha Aslam, were assigned to secure a polling center. The attack unfolded a day after twin terrorist strikes in Balochistan, resulting in 40 casualties. Reports suggest that after the bombings, there were incidents of gunfire in the vicinity.
The Express Tribune further reported that the bodies of those killed and the injured have been transported to hospitals by security forces. A lockdown has been imposed in the area, with security personnel initiating search operations. While no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack, the region has historically been a stronghold for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Amid allegations of electoral fraud in Pakistan’s general elections, voting commenced on Thursday at 8 a.m., with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vying for a fourth term with the support of the military. Shortly after the commencement of voting, mobile services were suspended nationwide due to deteriorating security conditions. Borders with Afghanistan and Iran were sealed for security reasons. Approximately 12,85,85,760 voters exercised their rights in these elections, with a public holiday declared for the voting day. Vote counting will begin immediately after the completion of the voting process. Nearly 650,000 security personnel have been deployed across the country for the smooth conduct of the elections.
