Nine terrorists were killed and three security officers injured in an exchange of fire during an operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district, police said on Saturday.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Earlier, a statement by KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed said that security forces and police carried out a joint operation in Hangu’s Zargari Shinawari area.

“Nine terrorists killed in Hangu operation, District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan is undergoing treatment at the Kohat Combined Military Hospital,” a statement issued later by Kohat Regional Police Officer DIG Abbas Majeed read.

“The operation is continuing successfully and full action is being taken against the terrorists,” the statement added.

It further read that DPO Khan was out of danger now.

Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi telephoned the Hangu DPO and appreciated his bravery and determination.

“The interior minister said that the nation will never forget the sacrifices of its brave sons and is determined to achieve final victory in the war against terrorism,” the statement added.

“During the operation, there was a heavy exchange of fire between the terrorists and the law enforcement personnel,” the earlier statement by the KP IGP read.

“Security forces fought bravely and killed five terrorists. However, Hangu DPO Khalid Khan, the Doaba station house officer (SHO), and an officer of the security forces were injured in the exchange of fire,” it added.

The statement said that DPO Khan “was hit by three bullets”.

IG Hameed spoke to the injured officers and enquired about their well-being, according to the police statement.

“Law enforcement agencies are determined to continue their fight against terrorism,” the statement added.

Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. KP has seen an increasing trend of terrorism-related incidents.

On June 21, KP police killed a terrorist and injured two others belonging to the TTP group in Dera Ismail Khan as they attempted to attack the police.

In May, two policemen were martyred and two were injured in a suicide attack in Peshawar, while in a separate incident, two cops lost their lives as a result of an attack on a police checkpoint in Bannu.

Faced with increasing attacks by militants, security forces have also intensified counterterrorism operations in KP and Balochistan.

Earlier this week, three “wanted terrorists” were killed during a joint operation between the regional police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Bannu district.

On July 5, three suspected terrorists belonging to the TTP’s Tipu Gul group were killed in a joint operation by the CTD.

Additional reporting by Umar Bacha