Five terrorists killed, eight detained in Malakand CTD operation

F.P. Report

RAWALPINDI: In a major counterterrorism operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district on Saturday evening, police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) neutralised five terrorists, injured two, and apprehended eight others.

According to Dargai tehsil Assistant Commissioner Waheedullah Khan, the operation took place in the Mehrday area targeting members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who were responsible for regional attacks. The detained terrorists were taken to a CTD facility, while the injured were admitted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Dargai.

Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

On the same day, a separate operation in KP’s Hangu district resulted in the deaths of nine terrorists, with three security personnel injured, including District Police Officer Khalid Khan, who is stable and receiving treatment at Kohat Combined Military Hospital.

The operation in Hangu remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to target terrorists, according to Kohat Regional Police Officer Deputy Inspector General Abbas Majeed.

The Global Terrorism Index 2025 ranks Pakistan second, with a 45% increase in terrorism-related deaths, totaling 1,081 over the past year, and KP has experienced a significant rise in such incidents. In response, security forces have ramped up operations, including a recent joint police-CTD mission in Bannu district that eliminated three wanted terrorists.