As many as 225 policemen have been martyred during the current year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police and security forces have remained under attack for years. A total of 826 policemen have sacrificed their lives in the province since January 2023.
This year has proven to be extremely deadly for the province's police force, with officers and junior cops frequently targeted across numerous districts. Apart from targeted killings, personnel have faced attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs), drones, snipers, and ambushes by armed groups.
On Tuesday last, two policemen lost their lives in an attack while providing security to a polio vaccination team in Mohmand district. Attacks on law enforcement have further intensified across various districts in recent weeks.
Personnel were targeted in Tank, Karak, Khyber, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Peshawar, and other districts through targeted killings, bombings, and drone strikes over the past several weeks. This renewed wave of violence against security forces began in mid-2021.
Most of these incidents occurred in designated districts where emergency measures have been implemented to improve the security situation. Data released by the Central Police Office in the first week of August revealed that 235 policemen were martyred in 2025, marking the highest annual death toll on record.
According to the statistics, 63 policemen were martyred in 2021, 93 in 2022, 197 in 2023, 169 in 2024, and 235 in 2025. Previously, 2009 was considered the deadliest year for the KP Police, with 211 fatalities.
Historical data compiled by the Central Police Office shows that 17 policemen were martyred in 2001, 17 in 2002, 26 in 2003, 24 in 2004, 13 in 2005, and 27 in 2006. The figures surged in 2007 with 101 martyrs, followed by 172 in 2008, 211 in 2009, 108 in 2010, 154 in 2011, 106 in 2012, 135 in 2013, and 111 in 2014.
Casualties subsequently declined as security improved for a brief period, with 61 policemen martyred in 2015, 74 in 2016, 36 in 2017, 31 in 2018, 42 in 2019, and 40 in 2020. However, a violent resurgence began in 2021.
By the end of July 2026, a total of 2413 personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police had laid down their lives since 2001. Combined with 246 casualties recorded between 1970 and 2000, the cumulative death toll reached 2659 by July.
Peshawar district recorded the highest number of martyrs with 386, followed by Bannu with 265, and Dera Ismail Khan with 249 up to July. The vast majority of these losses occurred over the past five years following the onset of the second wave of violence.
Among the approximately 2659 martyrs, constables accounted for the highest number at 1906, followed by 346 head constables, 157 assistant sub-inspectors, 161 sub-inspectors, and 54 inspectors. The honor roll of KP Police martyrs also includes two Additional Inspector Generals - Safwat Ghayur and Ashraf Noor - two Deputy Inspector Generals - Malik Muhammad Saad and Abid Ali - along with one Senior Superintendent of Police, 6 SPs, one ASP, and 24 DSPs or acting SPs.