UPPER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Eight police personnel, including a station house officer (SHO), were allegedly kidnapped by unidentified armed men in Upper South Waziristan on Wednesday, officials said.

District Police Officer (DPO) Arshad Khan confirmed the incident to Dawn, stating that those allegedly abducted included Sararogha SHO Ahmad Shah and two members of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU).

He said the abducted personnel had been deployed to the remote Partogai area of Sararogha tehsil to neutralise a suspected unexploded ordnance (UXO) — explosive weapons that did not explode when deployed but remain at risk for detonation.

According to police sources, the BDU successfully defused the UXO and completed all necessary procedures at the site.

After concluding the operation, the police team began its return journey to the police station. However, while travelling back, unidentified armed men intercepted the police vehicle, held the personnel hostage and took them to an undisclosed location.

Preliminary information suggests that the assailants had been lying in wait and launched the abduction after the police team completed its assignment and started heading back.

Following reports of the kidnapping, police launched a large-scale search operation across the area.

DPO Arshad said security personnel immediately began efforts to trace the abductors and recover the kidnapped police officials safely.

Checkpoints and blockades have been established along key mountain routes, entry and exit points, and other sensitive locations to restrict the movement of the kidnappers.

“The safe recovery of the abducted personnel remains our top priority. All available resources are being utilised, and investigations are underway from every possible angle,” the DPO said.

He added that an initial report has been entered into the daily police register, while further legal proceedings are in progress.

Local sources reported growing concern among residents following the incident. Tribal elders, community leaders, and civil society representatives have called on the authorities to take immediate and effective measures to secure the release of the abducted personnel.

The kidnapping comes amid a noticeable rise in terrorism and security-related incidents in Upper South Waziristan over the past two weeks.

Several shooting incidents were reported in recent days, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.

According to police and local administration officials, security challenges in the region have intensified, contributing to a growing sense of insecurity among residents.

Observers note that such incidents pose serious challenges to law enforcement agencies and disrupt normal life in the region.

Residents have urged both the federal and provincial governments to take urgent steps to improve law and order and curb the increasing wave of violence in Upper South Waziristan.

After two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May 2026, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.