Mansehra assistant commissioner wounded in Nowshera gun attack

Mansehra Assistant Commissioner Adil Waseem was wounded on Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his official vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district, prompting police to cordon off the area and begin a search for the attackers.

Officials said the shooting occurred in the Panah Kot area while Waseem was returning from his native village of Saleh Khana. He sustained injuries in the attack and was taken to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.

Muhammad Asim, a spokesperson for the hospital, said the injured officer was in stable condition and receiving medical care. No other casualties were immediately reported, while authorities had not disclosed the nature or extent of Waseem’s injuries.

Nowshera District Police Officer Sonia Shamroz said police secured the area soon after the attack and launched a search operation. A dedicated team has been formed to identify and arrest those responsible, while a criminal case has also been registered.

Investigators have not announced a suspected motive or identified the attackers. It therefore remains unclear whether the officer was targeted because of his official duties, a personal dispute or another factor. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding his journey and the location from which the vehicle was attacked.

The shooting comes amid sustained security pressure across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police officers, government personnel and public installations have repeatedly been targeted. A recent assessment by the Centre for Research and Security Studies recorded an 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities across Pakistan during the third quarter of 2026.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan together accounted for 98 per cent of the fatalities documented during that period. The assessment recorded 556 deaths in KP and 829 in Balochistan, highlighting the concentration of militant violence and counterterrorism operations in the two provinces.

The latest attack follows several deadly incidents involving public officials and law-enforcement personnel. A police officer was killed during an attack on a post in Bajaur this week, while four policemen were killed during an operation in Karak last week. Government vehicles have also been targeted in previous attacks in Bannu and Bajaur.

The assault raises renewed concerns about the protection of field administrators who routinely travel through areas facing security risks. Police are expected to examine available forensic evidence, possible surveillance footage and witness accounts as the investigation proceeds. Authorities have not yet announced any arrests.