BANNU: A high-profile terrorist who was killed in a recent operation by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was a member of the Afghan Taliban regime’s special forces, security sources said on Friday.

Security sources said the terrorist, Fatehullah alias Mudassir, was an active member of Yarmook 60 Special Forces Battalion. The unit operates under the Taliban regime’s Ministry of Interior Affairs.

They added that Fatehullah belonged to the Zarmat district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province and was actively involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan alongside the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Reports further suggest that he was also involved in facilitating cross-border terrorist networks and planning various militant operations, the security sources elaborated.

Security sources said that Fatehullah was killed along with his accomplices during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted near Bannu’s Baka Khel Airport on April 9. During the operation, security forces effectively targeted militant hideouts and neutralised the terrorists.

The security sources maintained that the revelations regarding Fatehullah’s Afghan background had raised serious questions over repeated claims by the Afghan Taliban government that their soil would not be allowed to be used against any other country, particularly Pakistan.

Such evidence strengthens concerns regarding cross-border terrorist networks in Afghanistan and regional militant connections, acting against Pakistan, the security sources added.

Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security forces coming under attack amid a broader surge in militant violence.

Violence in Bannu has included attacks on police and jirga members, prompting targeted operations by police and security forces in various localities to disrupt militant networks.

Eight TikTokers arrested in Swabi

Eight TikTokers belonging to different regions of Swabi were arrested on Thursday and Friday by district police for displaying weapons on social media, a district police officer said.

The officer, Waqas Rafiqe, said that the crackdown against young people displaying arms on social media would continue, and that anyone involved in such practices across the district would be arrested and face the law.

The Chowki Azamabad in-charge arrested a youth who uploaded pictures and videos of himself brandishing weapons on social media, he said, adding that the accused — a resident of Managai village — was creating an “environment of fear” and promoting gun culture among the youth. The weapons were recovered from his possession upon his arrest.

A case has been registered against the accused and further investigation has begun.

Other TikTokers have also been arrested across the district upon identification by the Social Media Monitoring Cell. These include one from Gandogher village who had displayed a Kalashnikov, two from Tat Corona Charbagh in Razaar tehsil, one from Kadi Rashkai, one from Pajman village, and two residents of Parmuli who were reported to have been “posing like movie heroes with weapons in their hands” on social media.

Parmuli police officials said that the videos “had a negative impact on the young generation”, adding that the displayed weapons were recovered.