The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel killed two “most-wanted terrorists” affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the CTD.

The press release said CTD personnel conducted the operation within the limits of Gomal police station on the basis of “credible intelligence”.

It said that the suspects, upon encountering CTD personnel, opened fire on them. The press release added that the exchange of gunfire continued for around 40 minutes, following which a search operation was launched.

During the search operation, the press release stated, two “terrorists were found dead”. It further said that two Kalashnikovs, along with six magazines and cartridges and two bandoliers, were found in the possession of the slain suspects.

According to the CTD, the suspects were affiliated with the TTP’s Mushtaq group and had been involved in multiple attacks on police.

The press release said they had been involved in the target killing of a head constable and the abduction and killing of a constable. They had also been involved in IED attacks on police, it said, adding that they were involved in an attack on a judges’ convoy in Lakki Marwat in August 2024, in which two police personnel lost their lives.

KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed and the additional CTD IG commended the CTD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team for the successful operation, the press release said. It added that the officials affirmed that law enforcers would remain vigilant at all times for the protection of the public, and such operations would continue to eradicate terrorism.

KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

This marked an “absolute increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82 per cent of the net national rise and marking almost a 44pc year-on-year surge in violence in the province”.

Ten days ago, six terrorists were killed in a joint operation in KP’s Kohat district by the CTD and Kohat police.

Last month, nine police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred in separate terrorist attacks in Punjab’s Bhakkar district and KP’s Kohat and Wana areas.

Only days prior to that, three Federal Constabulary men were martyred in a terrorist attack in KP’s Karak.