BANNU / WANA / DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Security forces and law enforcement agencies eliminated five militants in separate intelligence-based operations conducted across Bannu, Lower South Waziristan, and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Bannu district’s Bakakhel area, three militants were killed during an intelligence-driven raid launched after credible reports of their presence. Security forces engaged the hideout, resulting in an exchange of fire that left the three dead. Officials confirmed that targeted operations against militant networks are continuing across Bannu, with forces expanding efforts in Bakakhel, Janikhel, Miryan, Sarra Dargah, and the Wazir sub-division to dismantle infrastructure and thwart planned attacks. The intensified campaign follows the attempted vehicle-borne bombing of the Miryan police station on July 15. Meanwhile, Bannu police reported detaining 28 suspects during a search operation in the Norar and Mambati Barakzai areas of Miryan tehsil.
Suicide plot thwarted in Wana
A major attack was averted in Lower South Waziristan’s Wana when forces destroyed an explosives-laden vehicle and a motorcycle prepared for a suicide bombing in the Ghwakhwa area. One militant was killed and five others wounded in the operation. Security sources said the vehicle had been under surveillance for three consecutive days and was engaged only after it moved clear of populated areas, minimizing civilian risk. “The successful action averted significant civilian casualties and ensured the safety of the local population,” sources stated. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended the forces for foiling what he termed a “major terrorist” attempt, noting they had saved Wana and surrounding areas from potential destruction.
CTD eliminates wanted militant in D.I. Khan
In Dera Ismail Khan, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed a wanted militant linked to the targeted killing of a CTD constable. The slain individual, identified as Khalid alias Commander, was affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s Zakir Kochi Karwan group and faced multiple cases, including the March 17, 2025, murder of CTD Constable Muhammad Ali. Acting on confirmed technical intelligence placing Khalid in the Korai area under Shorkot police station jurisdiction, a CTD Special Weapons and Tactics team launched a targeted operation early Saturday on the Tank-Dera Ismail Khan Road. The militant was surrounded and repeatedly urged to surrender but opened fire on personnel, prompting return fire that resulted in his death. Authorities recovered a 9mm pistol, a hand grenade, and a smartphone for forensic examination. The CTD said efforts are underway to identify and pursue his facilitators, financiers, and logistical support network.
