A retired Pakistan Railways employee has been martyred after confronting a suicide bomber near Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The incident took place in the inter-provincial area between Jand tehsil in Punjab and Khushal Garh Bridge in KP.
Security sources have told media outlets that the suspected Fitna al-Khawarij militant was moving through fields near the border area when Liaqat, a local resident, stopped him and asked for identification.
The attacker detonated explosives during the exchange, killing both Liaqat and the suicide bomber on the spot.
Initial reports suggest that the militant intended to target a sensitive checkpoint located in the inter-provincial area, but Liaqat’s intervention prevented a larger attack and possible casualties.
Liaqat, a resident of Mankor village in Attock district’s Jand tehsil, had retired from Pakistan Railways.
Security officials stated that his actions helped protect the checkpoint as well as civilians present nearby.
They further noted that militant threats against civilians and security personnel continued in different parts of the country, while security forces, police and citizens remained engaged in efforts to counter such attacks.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border militant incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities maintain that the Afghan Taliban administration has not taken action against groups involved in attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security personnel.
