Hangu Checkpost Attack: Policeman Killed, Three Abducted as Militants Strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A police constable was killed and three of his colleagues were abducted on Monday when terrorists attacked a police checkpost in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the latest strike against the province’s police force.

The attack took place at a checkpost on Shah Almas Pir mountain, also known as Pir Pahari, in Hangu. Security forces later regained control of the hill, and a search operation is under way to find the three abducted policemen and track down the attackers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

What happened in Hangu

According to District Police Officer (DPO) Hangu Salahuddin Kundi, terrorists launched a sudden attack on the checkpost on Shah Almas Pir mountain on Monday morning.

A large contingent of police and security forces rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. An intense exchange of fire followed between the security personnel and the attackers.

During the fighting, the attackers seized three policemen and took them towards Khanano Kotta, an area near Samana mountain. Police said a search operation to recover them is under way.

Security forces have since retaken control of Shah Almas Pir mountain and are pursuing the fleeing attackers. Security has been placed on high alert across the area, and the search operation has been intensified.

The policeman who was killed

The constable killed in the attack has been named as Feroz Ali. He died during the exchange of fire with the attackers, DPO Kundi said.

His funeral prayers were offered with full state honours at Police Lines Hangu. DPO Salahuddin Kundi, senior Pakistan Army and police officers, and a large number of personnel attended the funeral.

After the funeral, his body was taken to his native village of Ibrahimzai for burial.

The names of the three abducted policemen have not been released. Police have not said whether any contact has been made with the attackers, or whether a ransom or any other demand has been put forward.

Why police checkposts are targeted

Attacks on police checkposts have become a regular feature of militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Checkposts sit on roads and hilltops in remote areas, which makes them exposed, and they are often the first line of defence in districts where militants move freely.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has carried out recurring attacks in the province since its ceasefire deal with the federal government ended in November 2022, according to the Press Trust of India.

The pattern is familiar: a small group of attackers hits a remote post, often at a time when few personnel are on duty, and then melts away into nearby hills. In Monday’s attack, the gunmen used the terrain around Samana mountain to escape with their captives.

Abductions of policemen add a second problem for the authorities. As well as the loss of life, they create pressure on the police force and on the families of the missing men, and they give the attackers leverage.

A province under emergency rule

The Hangu attack comes at a moment when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is already under emergency and governor’s rule. The federal government imposed the emergency weeks ago, saying the provincial government had deliberately disengaged from the fight against terrorism.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed his brother, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, on the law and order situation in the province during a meeting at Jati Umra in Lahore. According to Dawn, the prime minister said the federal government was compelled to take the step because of security concerns, while Nawaz Sharif argued that the intervention should have come much earlier.

The meeting also covered the province’s development and the government’s economic reforms.

Governor Kundi, who now leads the provincial set-up, has said the administration’s priority is restoring peace and strengthening the police force. He has described the police as being at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, and has said they must be properly equipped.

The new security plan: Rs70 billion for police and counterterrorism

The provincial authorities have also announced a new security plan for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, built around more money, new courts, and better equipment.

The plan includes spending Rs70 billion a year on the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Under the plan, the police would receive Rs59.8 billion and the CTD Rs10.3 billion, with the money split between infrastructure and new equipment.

One of the most notable parts of the plan is the creation of “faceless” anti-terrorism courts. KP Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said witnesses in terrorism cases were reluctant to come forward because of security concerns. Under the new system, the identity of judges, prosecutors and witnesses would be protected.

“So, we have recently sent the amendment to set up faceless anti-terrorism courts. Through this, not just the protection of witnesses, but that of prosecutors and judges will also be ensured,” Mr Khan said at a briefing.

The plan also promises a sharp increase in the police force’s surveillance and defence capacity. Surveillance capacity would rise to 60 per cent for the police and 70 per cent for the CTD. Counter-aerial threat capacity would rise from 1 per cent to 50 per cent. Anti-drone systems are being set up in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu, along with District Nerve Centres in 10 districts.

Sensitive police stations are being fortified, the Safe City project is being extended, and satellite systems will cover remote areas. Artificial intelligence will be used to monitor social media, and personnel will receive anti-drone and sniper training.

On the operational side, the authorities say kinetic operations will be scaled up through intelligence-based operations, area sanitisation, the arrest of facilitators, re-verification of people on the Fourth Schedule watch list, and the mobilisation of the Rapid Response Force.

The human cost so far

The figures shared by the provincial home secretary show how heavy the cost of militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been in the last few years.

Over the past two to three years, 1,003 personnel of the armed forces were martyred, along with 627 police personnel, and 808 civilians were killed, Mr Khan said. In the same period, 3,788 terrorists were killed.

The home secretary also pointed to long-standing gaps in the province’s security set-up. Only 3.2 per cent of the budget was allocated for security in the merged districts, which he called insufficient. The CTD, which was raised in 2014, has purpose-built infrastructure in only 12 districts, and counter-drone systems were operating at only 12 per cent capacity.

He also accused the now-dysfunctional PTI-backed provincial government of lacking political ownership of the fight against terrorism, saying the armed forces and police had made many sacrifices while the administration failed to own them.

Governor Kundi made a similar point, asking what the families of martyrs would say when political leaders disowned the war against terrorism. He noted that even political figures such as Maulana Fazlur Rehman face restrictions on their movement in some areas, and said intelligence-based operations were necessary.

What happens next

For now, the immediate focus is on the three abducted policemen. Police and security forces are combing the area around Samana mountain and Khanano Kotta, and the search operation is continuing.

If the men are not recovered quickly, the incident is likely to raise fresh questions about the safety of remote checkposts, and about whether the new security plan is reaching the districts that need it most.

The attack is also a test of the emergency set-up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government imposed emergency rule on the argument that the province needed a firmer hand against terrorism. Each new attack will be measured against that promise.

For the police in Hangu, the loss is personal as well as professional. Constable Feroz Ali is the latest in a long line of policemen killed in the province, and his funeral at Police Lines Hangu was a reminder of the risks that come with the job.

The authorities have not said how long the search operation will last, or whether reinforcements have been sent to the area. What is clear is that the attackers chose a remote, exposed post, and that the hunt for them and for the three missing policemen is now the priority.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the Hangu checkpost attack?

Terrorists attacked a police checkpost on Shah Almas Pir mountain in Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday, 9 November 2026. Constable Feroz Ali was killed in the exchange of fire, and three policemen were abducted and taken towards Khanano Kotta, near Samana mountain.

Where is Hangu?

Hangu is a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in northwestern Pakistan. It lies in a hilly area near Kohat, and has seen repeated militant attacks on police and security forces.

Who carried out the attack?

No group or individual has claimed responsibility so far. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has carried out recurring attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since its ceasefire with the federal government ended in November 2022.

What is the government doing about security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

The federal government has imposed emergency and governor’s rule in the province. The provincial set-up has announced a plan to spend Rs70 billion a year on the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department, and to set up “faceless” anti-terrorism courts to protect witnesses, prosecutors and judges.

What are faceless anti-terrorism courts?

They are planned anti-terrorism courts in which the identities of judges, prosecutors and witnesses would be hidden, so that people involved in terrorism cases are not exposed to threats or attacks. The idea is to encourage witnesses to come forward in a province where many are afraid to testify.

Conclusion

The attack on the Hangu checkpost is a small incident in itself — one policeman killed, three abducted — but it captures the larger problem facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Remote police posts remain exposed, militants still move freely in the hills, and the province’s security forces are still paying a heavy price.

The new emergency set-up and the Rs70 billion security plan promise more money, better equipment and safer courts. Whether those promises reach places like Shah Almas Pir mountain, and whether the three abducted policemen come home safely, will be the real test.

For now, the families of the missing men wait, and the search in the hills around Hangu goes on.

Sources

• Aaj English: “Policeman martyred, three abducted in attack on Hangu checkpost” — https://english.aaj.tv/news/330479928/policeman-martyred-three-abducted-in-attack-on-hangu-checkpost
• The Week (PTI): “Police officer killed, 3 others abducted in terror attack in northwest Pakistan” — https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2026/11/09/police-officer-killed-3-others-abducted-in-terror-attack-in-northwest-pakistan.html
• 24 News HD: “Cop martyred, three abducted, terrorists attack Hangu police post” — https://www.24newshd.tv/09-Nov-2026/cop-martyred-three-abducted-terrorists-attack-hangu-police-post
• Dawn: “PM briefs Nawaz on KP after new security plan unveiled” — https://www.dawn.com/news/2043160/pm-briefs-nawaz-on-kp-after-new-security-plan-unveiled

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.