LAKKI MARWAT: At least six terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation carried out by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the Shagayi area of Lakki Marwat, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said.
According to CTD officials, the terrorists opened fire as soon as the police team arrived in the area, prompting a retaliatory exchange that lasted nearly 40 minutes.
Following the clash, security personnel conducted a search operation and recovered the bodies of six terrorists. Authorities said efforts were underway to establish the identities of those killed.
Police also seized weapons from the site, including four Kalashnikov rifles, two pistols, eight hand grenades and an improvised explosive device (IED).
Zulfiqar Hameed and senior CTD officials praised the team involved in the operation, commending their efforts in countering militant threats.
“We will pursue terrorists to their hideouts and bring them to justice,” the provincial police chief said, adding that the sacrifices of security personnel would not go in vain.
Rising militancy and ongoing operations
Pakistan has witnessed an increase in militant activity since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting militant groups operating along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.
According to Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s information minister, the operation has resulted in significant losses for terrorist groups, including hundreds of fighters killed and multiple checkposts and military assets destroyed.
Prior to the operation, Pakistani forces also conducted airstrikes against militant camps linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State – Khorasan Province in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces, where more than 80 militants were reportedly killed.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan also escalated in October 2025 following cross-border attacks on Pakistani border posts, which led to clashes resulting in casualties on both sides. Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on curbing militant activities along the border.