Terrorism

Eight terrorists were killed in a joint operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed.According to Hameed, the joint operation was launched early in the morning based on credible intelligence about the presence of terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij. It was directly supervised by the Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Bannu, with two Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) and the CTD SP also present at the site."Modern drone surveillance and advanced technology were deployed to monitor the movement and possible hideouts of terrorist elements, while the area was completely cordoned off," he said.IGP said that one police official was martyred during the exchange of fire, while another sustained injuries and was shifted to the hospital for immediate medical treatment.Separately, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was also recovered near Azad Mandi on Miranshah Road and defused through timely action.IGP praised the courage, bravery, and professional expertise of the Bannu Police and CTD teams, saying "K-P police possessed full capability to crush the evil intentions of terrorists on every front.""The brave personnel have once again proved their readiness to make every sacrifice for the protection of the nation," he added.The IGP also announced special rewards for the police team that participated in the operation.He reaffirmed that operations against the Fitna al-Khawarij and anti-peace elements would continue with greater intensity, warning that every attack by the enemy would be responded to forcefully."K-P Police is standing on the frontline for the protection of the lives and property of the public," he said, reiterating the resolve to continue operations without interruption until the complete elimination of terrorism.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the police and CTD over the successful operation, praising their bravery and professionalism for "sending eight terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij to hell.""K-P police and CTD foiled the evil designs of the Khawarij through timely action," said Naqvi. "Salute to the entire team of police and CTD for bringing the terrorists to a dreadful end," he added.The interior minister also paid tribute to the police official who was martyred while confronting the terrorists, expressing heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the family of the slain officer.K-P has been battling terrorism since the United States' ouster from Afghanistan, with terrorists often crossing the border to target police convoys and vehicles, resulting in the deaths of several officials and personnel.The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, in a report, said that 85 verified terrorist attacks were recorded in April, down from 146 in March, marking a 42% decline, while fatalities from such attacks fell from 106 to 60, extending a downward trajectory that had begun in the previous month.The report attributed the improvement to Pakistan’s cross-border military campaign against terrorist groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18, which later gave way to a suspension of hostilities and talks in Urumqi, China.The operation, named Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, had been launched following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.Despite the decline in attacks, overall combat-related deaths, including those from militant violence and security operations, stood at 291 in April.Militants accounted for 224 of these deaths, representing 77% of the total.The remaining casualties included 28 security personnel, 37 civilians and two members of pro-government peace committees.