Pakistan: TTP kills three police officers in Dera Ismail Khan March 30

Event

Militants carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Dera Ismail Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) on the evening of Friday, March 30 (local time), killing three police officers and wounding five others. The attack, claimed by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reportedly targeted the convoy carrying the district police chief. TTP also threatened additional attacks following Friday's bombing.

Context

TTP and other Islamist militant groups - including Al-Qai'da and Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, and the Afghan Taliban, among others - continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered a number of deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Lahore, Balochistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Advice

Individuals in the Dera Ismail Khan area and throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are advised to monitor developments to the situation, report all suspicious objects and behavior, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.

More generally, due to the high threat of terrorism and other forms of violent crime, individuals in Pakistan are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities (their diplomatic mission or security manager). As a reminder, all Western embassies in Pakistan advise their citizens against nonessential travel to the country. Travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place.