At least seven policemen were abducted when unidentified armed men ambushed a police check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Monday, the police said as the province bordering Afghanistan deals with a surge in terrorism.

Police have confirmed their identities as Saleem, Aqal Rahman, Mewa Jan, Roshaan, Abdul Malik, Naimatullah, and Shad Muhammad. A search operation was under way in the area to locate and rescue them.

The policemen were taken from a police station in the Ahmadzai subdivision.

The attack occurred in broad daylight at the Rocha police checkpoint in the Bannu subdivision of Wazir. Armed assailants stormed the checkpoint, overpowering the policemen and making off with them.

They also took away all weapons and equipment.

Authorities noted that the Bannu Rocha checkpoint is situated in a “remote part” of the subdivision, emphasising their commitment to recovering the kidnapped officers swiftly.

In September, armed men kidnapped Assistant Sub-Inspector Sakhi Zaman from the Circular Road in Bannu. His release was secured after a tribal jirga comprising elders and religious scholars also engaged in the search efforts.

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Islamabad has witnessed a surge in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, and accuses Kabul’s rulers of failing to root out TTP members preparing attacks from their soil.

Last month, suicide bombers dressed as women in burkas killed four police officers as they stormed a police base in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu where a funeral was being held.

Earlier this year, a senior army officer and three of his relatives were released after being kidnapped from Dera Ismail Khan.