Two brothers serving in Bannu police kidnapped, killed during Taraweeh prayers; third still missing

PESHAWAR: In a brutal and cowardly act, three unarmed brothers, all government employees, were abducted from the limits of the Cantt Police Station area in Bannu.

Two of the brothers were later found murdered, while the third remains missing, officials and local sources said on Thursday.

According to the district police, the incident occurred in the Sokari Hassan Khel area, where the brothers were performing Isha and Taraweeh prayers at a local mosque. Ten to twelve armed militants stormed the mosque and forcibly abducted them during the prayers.

Authorities said the attackers showed no regard for the sanctity of the mosque, the ongoing prayers, or the Holy Quran, and forcibly took the victims away in a vehicle to an unknown location.

Later, the bodies of two brothers were discovered along a roadside, showing clear signs of brutal killing. The third brother remains unaccounted for.

The abducted brothers were identified as Saeed Akhtar, an operator at the Commissioner’s Office; Amjad Khan, a police constable posted with the SDW Elite Force; and Hazratullah, a police constable with the SDW Commissioner Squad.

Eyewitnesses told authorities that the armed men acted swiftly and fled the scene within minutes.

Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a large-scale search operation in and around Sokari Hassan Khel to trace the perpetrators and recover the missing brother. Further investigation into the incident was underway.

Funeral prayers held for the martyred brothers

Funeral prayers for Amjad Khan and Hazratullah were offered in Bannu, attended by DIG Bannu Sajad Khan, Deputy Commissioner Faheemullah, Assistant Commissioner Allah Nawaz, SP Investigation Sajid Mumtaz, SP City Tauheed Khan, SP Traffic Ehsanuddin, and other senior officers. Officials laid flowers on the bodies of the deceased and prayed for their elevation in status and forgiveness.

Speaking at the funeral, DIG Bannu Sajad Khan condemned the attack, saying: “Targeting innocent citizens and places of worship is a clear act of terrorism and an attack on humanity. Those carrying out such acts during the holy month of Ramadan deserve no mercy. The sacrifices of our martyrs will not go in vain.”

He added that terrorists, weakened by effective operations from security forces, are now resorting to attacking softer targets, which reflects their failure. “Police and security agencies remain fully active, and the net around such elements is being tightened further,” he said.