DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Oct 20 :Five security personnel were martyred and eleven others wounded when militants ambushed a Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) team and a Frontier Corps Protection “FCPNI” post near Kot Lalu in the Dera Isla m ail Khan district, officials confirmed.
Security forces responded immediately, and in a follow-up intelligence-driven operation killed eight attackers while a manhunt for the remaining insurgents is underway. Sources said the assailants belonged to the militant group known as Fitnat al-Khawarij and specifically targeted the pipeline project, which is critical for energy supply and employment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The wounded were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan for treatment, and the bodies of the martyred were dispatched with full state honours to their native areas.
Officials stressed that the pipeline attack underscores militants’ intent to disrupt public development and sow fear in the region. Previous incidents in the district include the July pipeline bombing in Lakki Marwat and multiple attacks on energy-infrastructure.
Security agencies have imposed checkpoints and initiated broad search operations across the border-adjacent terrain to prevent further strikes and stabilise the area. Local authorities reaffirmed their commitment to protect infrastructure projects and bring the perpetrators to justice.
