A militant assault on a police post in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province resulted in 11 officers killed and 15 attackers eliminated during an hour-long confrontation, with suspicion pointing toward the Pakistani Taliban.

A coordinated militant attack on the Khazina police post in Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulted in significant casualties early Thursday morning. According to police official Irfan Khan, security forces engaged approximately 15 militants in an intense firefight lasting around an hour, ultimately neutralizing all attackers. However, the operation came at a substantial cost to law enforcement, with 11 police officers confirmed killed in the assault.

The attack unfolded in stages, with militants initially targeting the police post using heavy weaponry. When reinforcements were dispatched to the scene, they encountered an ambush that damaged an armored personnel carrier before officers regrouped and repelled the attackers. Senior police officer Diyar Khan, who led the reinforcements, was among those killed. Beyond the fatalities, more than two dozen additional officers sustained injuries during the engagement.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the operation. Security analysts and officials have directed attention toward the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified attacks against Pakistani security forces in the region during recent months. The TTP maintains close ties with Afghanistan's Taliban, though operates as a separate organization.

The incident reflects an escalating pattern of militant violence in Pakistan. Islamabad has consistently alleged that Afghanistan's Taliban government provides shelter to TTP fighters, though the Afghan administration has rejected these accusations. The resurgence of Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2021 has coincided with increased militant activity in Pakistan's border regions.