Militant attack claims lives of four peace committee members in Pakistan

(MENAFN) Four members of a community peace committee were killed on Tuesday in what authorities believe was a militant assault in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to officials.

The shooting took place in the Bannu district, where unidentified assailants fired on a vehicle in the Gulbadin Landi Dak area, as stated by security officials. Those inside the car were fatally wounded during the attack.

“Four people traveling in the car were killed in the attack,” an official said, noting that a father and his son were among the victims.

Authorities indicated that the assault bore the hallmarks of a militant operation, pointing out that members of peace committees in the region have repeatedly been targeted in previous attacks.

Peace committees operate at the local level and work alongside security forces to help maintain stability and counter extremist activities.

The incident drew condemnation from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who denounced the violence in strong terms.

“Cowardly acts of militants cannot shake the nation’s firm resolve against terrorism. The nation stands united to defeat the evil designs of these militants,” Naqvi said in a statement.

The latest killings come amid a sharp rise in insecurity across the area. Just a day earlier, two separate bomb blasts in the nearby districts of Tank and Lakki Marwat claimed the lives of at least seven police personnel, including an officer.

The Bannu district has seen similar violence in recent months. In November last year, a comparable attack on a peace committee office resulted in the deaths of at least seven committee members.

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