KP Constable Killed After Abduction in Bajaur, Probe Launched

A police constable was killed after being abducted by unidentified armed men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, officials said on Friday, adding another disturbing incident to a growing chain of violence in the region. The constable was reportedly taken away while travelling toward his duty post, and his body was recovered the next morning near the Bajaur-Mohmand border.

According to officials cited in the report, the constable was abducted on Thursday from the Asil Targaoo area of Barang tehsil while he was on his way to his post in Sindh Gara. Police later received information from local residents that a body had been found in a mountainous area, prompting a team to move to the site with members of the local community.

The body was shifted to a nearby hospital for postmortem examination after being recovered from the mountain area. Police said the constable, who was around 50 years old, appeared to have been subjected to severe torture, with visible marks of physical abuse found on different parts of his body.

District police spokesperson Israr Khan confirmed the killing and said the postmortem findings also showed multiple marks of violence on the constable’s body. He added that funeral prayers were offered officially before the body was taken to the constable’s hometown for burial, with senior police officials and a large number of residents attending.

Police have registered a case against unidentified assailants and launched an investigation to determine who carried out the abduction and killing. Officials said the motive behind the incident remains unclear, and no group had claimed responsibility at the time of reporting.

The killing has caused concern among residents because Barang tehsil had generally been viewed as one of the comparatively safer parts of Bajaur. The incident has therefore raised fresh questions about whether violence is spreading into areas that local communities previously considered less vulnerable.

Bajaur has witnessed several security-related incidents in recent days. On Thursday evening, two children were killed and four others were injured during an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in the district, while two people, including a social activist, were killed in separate attacks earlier in the week.

The latest case also comes against the wider backdrop of renewed militancy in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly said militant sanctuaries across the border, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, continue to pose a serious threat to peace and internal security.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the killing of a serving policeman carries serious implications because police personnel remain on the front line of counterterrorism and local law enforcement. Such attacks can weaken public confidence, increase pressure on already stretched security forces and deepen fear among communities living near border districts.

Authorities are now expected to intensify the search for the attackers, examine possible militant links and reassure residents that the situation remains under control. The progress of the investigation will be closely watched, especially as Bajaur faces renewed security pressure and growing public concern over targeted violence.