PESHAWAR: During ongoing operations against militants in Bannu, the Counter-Terrorism Department’s Bannu region, in coordination with local police, carried out a successful intelligence-based operation (IBO), killing two terrorists.

According to police, the operation was conducted within the jurisdiction of Mirakhel Police Station on Jhandokhel Road near Shagi Machankhel.

Acting on credible intelligence, CTD Bannu’s Special Weapons and Tactics teams, along with Bannu Police, cordoned off the area and launched the operation. During the action, the terrorists opened fire, prompting effective retaliatory fire by the police and CTD personnel.

Following an exchange of fire, two terrorists were found dead during a search operation. They were identified as Suhail Khan alias Sangri and Ismail alias Usman.

Police stated that both terrorists were involved in attacks on Sheikh Landik and Fateh Khel police check posts, in which eight police constables were injured. They were also involved in attacks on security forces’ convoys and an IED attack on the under-construction Rescue 1122 building.

Weapons and ammunition recovered from the slain terrorists included two Kalashnikov rifles, one pistol, multiple rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, two mobile phones, two national identity cards, and a card belonging to the proscribed TTP.

Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, along with the Additional IG CTD, commended the Bannu Police and CTD SWAT teams for the successful operation.

The IGP KP stated that intelligence-based targeted operations will continue uninterrupted across the province until terrorism is completely eliminated.

In a separate incident, militants launched an attack on the Nala Kasho police checkpost, using light and heavy weapons.

However, the attack was foiled after retaliatory action by police personnel.

As soon as information about the attack was received, police contingents from Domel and Town Police Station, along with other security forces, immediately reached the site of the incident.

Despite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year on year. As many as 699 terrorist attacks were recorded countrywide during 2025, according to the “Pakistan Security Report 2025” report released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).

This violence claimed at least 1,034 lives and left 1,366 injured, underscoring a rising trajectory of militancy that has persisted since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.