Peshawar, October 2, 2025: At least four policemen were wounded on Thursday when their patrol van was targeted in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Garhi Qamar Din, police said.
According to SSP Operations Masood Bangash, the attack took place on Kohat Road near Garhi Qamar Din Chowk. Rescue teams shifted the injured to hospital, where one officer remains in critical condition.
The incident comes amid alarming new data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), which reported a 46% surge in overall violence during the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. The country witnessed at least 901 fatalities and 599 injuries in 329 incidents of violence, including terror attacks and counter-terror operations.
The report noted that Q3 alone brought Pakistan almost on par with all of 2024, which had reported 2,546 fatalities in total, while this year has already seen 2,414 deaths by September. Out of the Q3 fatalities, 516 (57%) were militants, while 385 were civilians and security personnel. Civilian deaths stood at 219 (24%), whereas 166 security personnel embraced martyrdom.
The data further showed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan bore the brunt of the violence, accounting for more than 96% of incidents nationwide. KP alone suffered 71% of fatalities (638 deaths), followed by Balochistan with 230 fatalities. Compared to Q2, fatalities surged by 64% in KP and 21% in Balochistan, while Sindh also reported a sharp rise — from eight deaths in Q2 to 21 in Q3.
The CRSS findings underscore the deteriorating security situation, with KP remaining the most volatile region. Thursday’s IED attack in Peshawar marks yet another grim reminder of the escalating threat.
