Pakistan: Four police personnel killed in separate firing incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 5 (ANI): At least four police personnel lost their lives in two separate firing incidents in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khaama Press reported.
In one incident, unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on three police officers in the Lakki Marwat area, killing them instantly.
In another attack in Bannu district, a police officer was shot dead by unknown assailants, triggering concerns over what appears to be a pattern of targeted strikes against law enforcement agencies, Khaama Press reported.
While no organisation has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is known to have a strong operational presence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khaama Press reported.
Following the incidents, authorities launched investigations and increased security measures in the affected areas, deploying additional police to prevent further violence.
The attacks follow a similar incident on December 23 last year, when five police personnel were killed in the province, reflecting an alarming trend of repeated assaults on security forces, Khaama Press reported.
The year 2025 has been among the most lethal for Pakistan's security personnel, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to continued militant activity and insurgency-related threats.
Officials have urged citizens to stay alert, assuring them that security agencies will intensify operations against militant groups to restore law and order.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken disciplinary action against 214 of its officials over the past four months in connection with cases of human trafficking, corruption, indiscipline and inefficiency, according to senior agency officials, Dawn reported on Friday.
The actions were taken amid a surge in complaints related to "human smuggling and graft" within the agency.
A senior FIA official said the crackdown followed the introduction of internal reforms, including the establishment of the Directorate of Internal Accountability (DIA) at FIA Headquarters in August 2025, as reported by Dawn.
Similar accountability units were also set up at the zonal level under the supervision of zonal directors.
The official stated that a strict accountability mechanism was introduced in the aftermath of deadly boat incidents in Europe and Africa, where a large number of Pakistani nationals lost their lives, adding that high-level enquiries later revealed the involvement of some FIA personnel in human smuggling networks, Dawn reported.
The official also cited a November 2025 International Monetary Fund report titled "Pakistan: Governance and Corruption Diagnostic", which highlighted corruption in public-sector institutions as a major cause of inefficiency. (ANI)