Dera Ismail Khan blast: 10 killed in attack on police station amid election tensions

New Delhi: Just three days ahead of the national elections in Pakistan, suspected gunmen targeted a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail district, killing at least 10 policemen.

The attackers employed heavy weaponry, leaving six others injured in the assault, according to police reports released on Monday.

This violent incident occurred just three days before the scheduled general elections set for February 8 (Thursday). In response to the attack, the police cordoned off the affected area and initiated a comprehensive search operation to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the heinous act.

Media reports suggest that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPJ) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. The TPJ considered an offshoot of the banned Pakistani Taliban (TTP), has a history of targeting the government and its institutions to overthrow the existing regime and implement stringent religious laws. Dera Ismail Khan, the site of the attack, holds significance as a former stronghold of the TTP.

As the nation braces for the elections, violence has been escalating throughout Pakistan. The remote northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a surge in incidents, heightening concerns among the 128 million voters preparing for the electoral process.

On January 31, Rehan Zaib Khan, an independent candidate, along with four aides, fell victim to gun violence in the Bajur district of the province. This incident added to the growing tally of pre-election violence in the region.

In a previous attack in December, the TPJ claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tehsil Daraban, targeting a police station and resulting in the loss of at least 23 lives, with 32 others sustaining injuries. The escalating violence also extended to the regional capital, Peshawar, where a suicide bomber targeted a mosque, claiming the lives of at least 101 people in the preceding month.