Security sources said early on Wednesday that all the khawarij involved in the attack on Cadet College in Wana had been killed.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the college came under attack on Monday as terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle against the main gate of the college, entered the educational facility and were then “cornered in the college’s administrative block”. Security sources on Tuesday had continued the clearance operation against the terrorists hiding inside the educational institute.

Early on Wednesday, security sources said that one suicide bomber and four other khawarij were killed in a successful operation. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Teh­reek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Security sources said that the college building was currently being cleared due to the threat of landmines. They asserted that no student or teacher at the college was harmed during the successful operation.

Speaking to Geo News shortly after midnight, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar termed the operation a “huge achievement” of the Pakistan Army, adding that 550 students were safely evacuated.

He said that the attack on the college could have been a bigger incident than the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014. “The lives of these students were successfully saved using perseverance and expertise,” he said.

“This was a difficult task and a sensitive operation. And our army has proven once again that it is included among the world’s best,” he said. The minister said that Pakistan had “won two wars” against India and Pakistan, lauding security forces.

The minister said that Pakistan had proven its worth in conventional warfare and was also doing the same in the “proxy war”. He reiterated Islamabad’s demand that Afghanistan’s soil not be used for carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

He said that investigations would be carried out into the attack in Wana as well as the suicide attack in Islamabad on Tuesday. “Concrete evidence of the attacks will be shared with friendly countries and international forums,” he said.

The minister asserted that Pakistan would uncover those involved in terrorist activities. He said that security forces were alert and ready to deal with any eventuality.

“We are in good hands. Our security is in strong hands, so there is nothing to worry about,” he said, reiterating that the operation was a “huge success”.

On Tuesday, a report from DHQ Hospital Wana confirmed that nine civilians, including men, women and children, sustained injuries when the explosion caused nearby structures to collapse. Hospital MS Dr Jan Muhammad said all injured individuals were receiving full medical treatment and necessary facilities.

PM, president vow action against foreign-backed terrorism

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari met at the Presidency a day earlier, where they discussed the country’s security situation in the wake of the attacks in Wana and Islamabad.

Condemning the incidents, the premier and the president had an “exchange of views on the country’s overall political and security situation”, state-run PTV said in a post on X.

“Both leaders reaffirm their resolve that actions against foreign-backed terrorists and their facilitators will continue until the complete elimination of terrorism,” PTV added.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past few years, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowed to attack security forces, police, and law enforcement agencies’ personnel.

‘Clear Afghan involvement’

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday that it was “clear” that Afghanistan was directly involved in the attack.

Noting that the terrorists had been identified as Afghan, the interior minister said the attackers’ “communication with their people in Afghanistan also continued the entire night”.

Referring to multiple visits carried out by top Pakistani leadership to Afghanistan, Naqvi said: “The foreign minister, deputy prime minister, defence minister — we all have gone numerous times and presented them with evidence and details on how they (terrorists) are being trained in Afghanistan, how they plan and then come here to carry out attacks.”

“We are very clear in this that Afghanistan must stop them under all circumstances. In case of not stopping them, we will have no other option but to deal with the terrorists who are attacking our country,“ he asserted.

Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that attacks on terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan could not be ruled out after the incidents in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.