Unidentified assailants have claimed the lives of two customs officers in western Pakistan, officials reported on Sunday. This incident follows the recent killing of five other customs officials in Dera Ismail Khan, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
No particular group has asserted responsibility for the attacks that occurred since Thursday, prompting ongoing investigations by the police.
Security conditions in regions bordering Afghanistan have significantly worsened in recent years. There has been a surge in attacks, with some attributed to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group, primarily targeting police and security personnel.
According to Muhammad Adnan, the district deputy superintendent of police, the customs officials were conducting routine checks when unidentified assailants opened fire, resulting in two injuries. The area, situated along a busy highway, has been cordoned off.
Adnan further mentioned that just three days prior, five customs department officials, including an officer, were fatally shot in the same vicinity, with the perpetrators managing to escape.
These escalating attacks have heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban administration.
Pakistan has repeatedly voiced concerns, alleging that militants exploit Afghan territory to launch assaults. In response, Pakistan has urged the Taliban to take decisive action and even conducted an airstrike on Afghan soil the previous month.
However, the Taliban have refuted claims of harboring militants and argue that Pakistan’s security issues are purely domestic matters for Islamabad.
