Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police foiled a terrorist attack bid in the Nurar area of Bannu district late last night, an officer said on Monday.

Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu this month.

Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi told Dawn.com: “A terrorist group was attempting to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Nurar area.”

Upon receiving timely information, police and security forces took immediate action and surrounded the area, he added.

During the action, the police targeted the terrorists through drones and thwarted their plans.

“According to initial reports, the terrorists were killed while attempting to plant the IED,” the police official added.

“Bannu police are fully alert and ready to deal with any kind of threat, and all resources are being utilised to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the public,” DPO Kulachi said.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022.

Attacks have predominantly targeted the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel and security forces. In response, the state has also intensified its counterterrorism operations.

Last week, in a series of assaults in KP, a police official was martyred in Karak district while police thwarted a separate late-night terrorist assault on a police station in the Basyakhel area of Bannu, officials said.

Also last week, a Frontier Corps constable was killed and two others were injured when terrorists attacked their vehicle in the Daryoba area of Bannu district, according to the police.