An assistant head of the police's bomb disposal squad was killed on Saturday when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded while he was attempting to defuse it in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The incident took place in the Sararogha area of Upper South Waziristan district on 8 November 2026.
According to District Police Officer Ashfaq Khan, the officer sustained critical injuries in the explosion and later succumbed to them. He said the blast occurred as the disposal team was working to neutralise a second device after having successfully defused a previous one in the same area.
The district police noted that the first device had been detonated safely earlier in the day, a maneuver that had relieved some of the immediate danger in the densely populated village surroundings. The second device, however, detonated unexpectedly as the team entered its perimeter, an event that resulted in the officer’s fatal injuries.
Local officials in Upper South Waziristan said the area has been the site of increasing militant activity, with several IEDs planted in recent months. The police emphasised that the defuse squad was operating under strict protocols designed to minimise risk to personnel and civilians alike.
Following the incident, the police convoy was temporarily halted to allow emergency medical teams to reach the scene. Although the officer was promptly transported to a regional hospital, he could not survive the critical injuries sustained during the blast.
The police have not yet released the name of the officer who was killed, citing privacy concerns for the family. Speculation in local press remains that he was a senior member of the provincial bomb disposal unit, reflecting the high profile nature of his unit’s operations in the remote district.
The event has prompted a review of site-security protocols in Upper South Waziristan, with authorities pointing to the necessity of tighter perimeter controls during IED neutralisation operations. In a brief statement, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police commander said “the safety of officers remains our top priority, and we will increase measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.”
Current security forces are coordinating with military intelligence to trace the origin of the devices and to broaden sweeps across bordering villages. They have requested assistance from neighbouring districts to patrol the area against potential residual threats.
The incident underscores the ongoing risks that bomb disposal experts face in conflict‑torn regions. In the past, several other officers have been injured or killed during similar operations across Pakistan, with regional authorities regularly acknowledging the heavy toll on counter‑terrorism forces.
For now, the community of Upper South Waziristan is reportedly in mourning, as residents remember the dedicated police official who gave his life defending their town from clandestine explosives. The authorities will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as new information becomes available.
