A bomb disposal specialist lost his life while attempting to neutralize an improvised explosive device inside a deserted police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hassan Khel region, according to officials. Main Developments Khaisat Rehman, a member of the Bomb Disposal Unit, was killed Tuesday when a second IED detonated as he worked to defuse it at the abandoned post in Faqeeri Banr. Terrorists had earlier set off one explosive device inside the vacant structure and left another undetonated, a senior police officer told Dawn. Authorities immediately sealed off the area and began a search operation following the incident. The post had been unoccupied for some time, making it a target for militants. Read also: Why Pakistan's AJK elections are drawing high-stakes political talks Background Hassan Khel, located roughly 50 miles south of Peshawar, has experienced a rise in terrorist attacks on security forces over the past four years. On June 9, six Federal Constabulary personnel were killed and four wounded while repelling a militant attempt to seize a post in the same subdivision; eight attackers also died. On July 1, a woman was killed and six family members injured in a suspected drone strike on a house in Pastawana, a remote village within Hassan Khel. Four of the wounded were later discharged from Shamshato Hospital. Why It Matters The killing of a Bomb Disposal Unit member underscores the persistent threat militants pose to law enforcement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, even in abandoned or secured locations. Each attack erodes operational capacity and stretches police resources already strained by a surge in violence. What's Next Police are conducting a search operation in the area to locate those responsible. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and investigators are working to identify the perpetrators.