BANNU: A terrorist attack in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa claimed the life of Constable Rafidullah, the brother of a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officer, in a brutal overnight assault. He was martyred when heavily armed militants stormed his family residence, opened fire, and later set the house ablaze.
According to police, nearly 20 to 25 terrorists surrounded the home of CTD official Javed and his brother, Constable Rafidullah, in the limits of Hovid Police Station. The attackers fired indiscriminately, trying to overpower the family. Despite being outnumbered, Constable Rafidullah showed remarkable bravery. He resisted with full courage and retaliated against the militants.
During the clash, he was subdued and taken hostage along with his two nephews. The assailants then torched the residence before fleeing the scene. Later, his body was recovered from open fields. The two children remain missing, and their whereabouts are still unknown.
Soon after the militant assault, District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu, Saleem Abbas Kulachi, rushed to the site with a large contingent of security forces. Under his direct supervision, a massive search operation was launched to track down the attackers and rescue the missing boys.
The funeral prayers of Constable Rafidullah were held at Bannu Police Lines with full official honors. A police unit presented a guard of honor, while senior officers laid floral wreaths on his coffin. The ceremony was attended by DIG Bannu Region Sajjad Khan, SP CTD Fazal Wahid, SP City Tohid Khan, and SP Investigation Sajid Mumtaz. A large number of constables, officers, and the martyr’s family members were also present to pay tribute.
The terrorist attack has once again exposed the grave threat of militancy in the region. Security officials vowed to bring the perpetrators of this terror strike to justice and to continue their fight against extremism.
