Security forces and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out a major intelligence-driven operation (IBO) in the Pahar Khel area of Lakki Marwat, targeting a terrorists hideout early Friday morning. According to officials, troops surrounded the location and engaged the terrorists in a heavy exchange of fire, resulting in the killing of ten individuals referred to by the state as Khawarij—a term used for terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The operation was launched around 7:30am following confirmed intelligence, ISPR said.
The CTD later confirmed that two senior commanders of the Teepo Gul faction—Commander Niaz Ali, known as Akasha, and Commander Abdullah, known as Shipunkoi—were among the dead. Five more terrorists were injured, while one facilitator was arrested from the scene. In a separate IBO carried out in the Dera Ismail Khan district, security forces killed three additional terrorists and recovered arms and ammunition from what authorities described as “Indian-sponsored Khawarij.” The weapons haul included material used in previous attacks on law enforcement agencies, ISPR added.
Following the successful operations, security forces initiated large-scale area sanitisation efforts to locate any remaining terrorists. Officials stated that these actions are part of Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism strategy under the “Azm-i-Istehkam” framework, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. The ISPR noted that the campaign will continue with full momentum until foreign-backed terrorism is completely dismantled. The military also recalled that 38 terrorists had been eliminated in four IBOs across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier this week.
In another incident in Bannu district, CTD personnel and local police confronted a group of terrorists responsible for an attack in the area. Two terrorists were killed in the initial exchange of fire, while three others retreated into a nearby home and took two civilians hostage. The hostages were murdered when they resisted their captors, prompting CTD SWAT teams, Bannu Police reinforcements, and other security agencies to launch a rescue operation. An intense eight-hour gunfight followed before all three remaining terrorists were neutralised.
Security forces later recovered the bodies of five terrorists, including Rasool, also known as Commander Ariana, while efforts remain underway to verify the identities of the others. A cache of weapons and ammunition was seized from their possession. Local residents commended the security agencies for their swift response, calling the operation a just retaliation for the innocent lives lost and expressing full support for law enforcement in their efforts to eradicate terrorism from the region. ISPR confirmed the recovery and the conclusion of the operation.
