Armed attackers stormed a hilltop police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district on Sunday night, killing one constable and abducting three of his colleagues before security forces retook the post. The three abducted officers were later recovered safely, police said.

The attack struck the Shah Almas Pir Ziarat police post, perched on Shah Almas Pir mountain on the outskirts of Hangu district, late on Sunday night. Hangu District Police Officer Salahuddin Kundi confirmed the assault on Monday, saying the attackers opened fire on the post and carried the three men away towards Khanano Kot in the Samana mountain range.

The constable killed in the attack was identified as Feroz Ali. His funeral prayers were offered with full state honours at the Police Lines in Hangu, and his body was then taken to his native village of Ibrahimzai.

Forces retook the post after a gun battle

A large contingent of police and security forces rushed to the scene after the attack, exchanged fire with the assailants and regained control of the post on Shah Almas Pir mountain. A pursuit and search operation was launched to track down the attackers and bring the three abducted personnel back safely.

The three officers were subsequently recovered safely following joint efforts by the district police, local tribal elders and the district administration, according to a report by Express News. Hangu Deputy Commissioner Basir Ali Rehman confirmed their recovery, saying all three were safe and would be brought back to Hangu.

No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting, and the authorities have not named any organisation behind it. Police sources said the remote location of the post, high in the Samana range, made it difficult to reinforce quickly, and investigators were still establishing how many attackers took part and how they reached the hilltop position undetected.

Attacks on police continue across the province

The Hangu attack is the latest in a sustained wave of violence targeting law enforcement personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Police posts and patrols in the province's mountainous districts have repeatedly come under attack in recent months, with officers guarding polio vaccination teams also targeted.

The incident comes as the provincial government moves to strengthen its counter-terrorism response, including plans for faceless anti-terrorism courts and increased funding for the police and the Counter Terrorism Department.

Police said the search operation in the Samana range was continuing and further details would follow as the investigation develops.