Security Forces Neutralize at Least Seven Militants in Bannu Operation, Sources Say

PESHAWAR: According to security sources, forces eliminated at least seven militants during an operation in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Friday.

Bannu district has experienced a string of security incidents over the past months, with civilians and local security personnel facing attacks amid a rise in militant activity.

Security sources said the operation, conducted in the Ghora Baka Khel area of Baka Khel tehsil, successfully targeted a suspected vehicle believed to be transporting weapons and explosives.

The sources added that, acting on credible intelligence about suspicious terrorist movement, forces swiftly located and struck the suspected vehicle—parked near a government school—using a quadcopter.

The vehicle contained a substantial arsenal, including a 12.7‑mm machine gun, rocket‑propelled grenades, and mortar shells.

The ensuing blast destroyed the vehicle entirely, and initial reports indicate that all seven to eight militants inside were killed on the scene, according to the sources.

“A search and clearance operation is ongoing in the area to address any lingering threats, while further investigations continue,” they said.

On Wednesday, militants used a quadcopter to drop two explosive devices on the Haved police station, leaving two Frontier Corps members with minor injuries.

Earlier this month, local sources reported that an alleged militant commander and two others were killed in separate incidents in the district, and militants also tried to destroy a vital link bridge.

Last month, at least two police officers and an equal number of civilians were martyred, while 25 militants were killed in a fierce confrontation involving law enforcement, a peace committee, and terrorists.

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