Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Bannu district police neutralized five suspected militants during a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late Thursday night, officials confirmed on Friday.
An official CTD statement identified the slain individuals as members of Fitna-al-Khawarij, the state’s designated terminology for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The operation was launched in the Gulbahar area, within the jurisdiction of the Hawed Police Station, acting on credible intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists.
According to the statement, the raid was executed through coordinated planning to effectively restrict the militants’ movement. During the operation, the suspects opened indiscriminate fire on the CTD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and accompanying local police personnel, prompting a retaliatory engagement in self-defense.
The exchange of fire lasted approximately 40 minutes. A subsequent search and clearance operation resulted in the elimination of five terrorists and the arrest of several others. A heavy police contingent quickly cordoned off the area, and efforts are ongoing to track down militants who managed to flee the scene.
Authorities have initiated the identification process, criminal profiling, and forensic analysis of the deceased. Recovered arms included five Kalashnikov rifles, ten magazines, five bandoliers, two hand grenades, and a large quantity of ammunition, all of which have been confiscated for forensic examination and further investigation.
The CTD stated that legal proceedings will also be initiated against facilitators and those providing financial or logistical support to the terrorist network. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed and the CTD Additional IG commended the SWAT team and local police for the successful operation.
In a statement, the KP IG vowed that intelligence-based operations against Fitna al-Khawarij, their facilitators, and support networks would continue with increased effectiveness. He emphasized that terrorists would be pursued to their safe havens and brought to justice, affirming that the blood of martyrs would not go in vain.
Bannu has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, with both civilians and security forces frequently targeted. On Wednesday night, a police officer was martyred and six security personnel along with four civilians were injured when attackers attempted to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the Miryan Police Station. The massive blast was followed by a prolonged gun battle, during which security forces successfully foiled an attempt by the militants to storm the facility.
Critically injured officer Noor Jamal Khan succumbed to his wounds on Thursday, according to an official Bannu police statement. The recent spike in attacks—including assaults on police installations and jirga members—has prompted a series of targeted operations across the district to dismantle terror networks.
On June 26, security forces killed seven terrorists in an operation in the Baka Khel tehsil. Security sources reported that forces targeted a suspicious vehicle parked near a government school in the Ghora Baka Khel area using a quadcopter, acting on intelligence regarding the movement of militants. The vehicle was found to be transporting a heavy cache of weaponry, including a 12.7-millimeter machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortar shells.
