LOWER DIR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), in coordination with Lower Dir police, killed six suspected terrorists during an operation in the district’s hilly areas on Wednesday, according to an official statement.
The CTD said the slain men were among the “most-wanted terrorists” and were allegedly involved in the recent attack on the Badwan Bridge checkpost in Lower Dir, where Constable Mohammad Ismail was martyred.
Following the attack on the checkpost, CTD and district police cordoned off the area and launched efforts to track down those responsible. During the operation, authorities received intelligence regarding the presence of a group of Fitna al-Khawarij militants hiding in the mountainous region of Lower Dir.
According to the statement, law enforcement personnel attempted to arrest the suspects when they emerged from their hideouts. However, the militants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on the police teams, prompting security personnel to return fire.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term used by the state to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The CTD said the exchange of fire continued for an extended period, after which a search operation was conducted in the area. Six terrorists were found dead during the operation.
The department stated that all six individuals were wanted in multiple terrorism-related cases. Security forces recovered six Kalashnikov rifles, three hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunition from their possession.
Authorities said a search operation remained underway to apprehend other accomplices who managed to flee the scene.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed praised the district police and CTD for the successful operation. He reiterated that counter-terrorism operations would continue with full force until terrorism is eliminated from the province and the writ of the state is fully restored.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also lauded the CTD and police for the operation. In a statement shared by the Interior Ministry on X, he commended the professionalism of the security personnel and praised them for eliminating six terrorists.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security situation continued to show signs of deterioration. According to a monthly assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), terrorist violence increased significantly during May 2026, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The report recorded 128 terrorist attacks across the country in May, compared to 101 attacks in April, reflecting a 27 per cent increase. The rise reversed a declining trend seen over the previous two months and highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing conflict-affected regions.
As militancy persists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with security personnel and law enforcement officials frequently targeted, authorities have intensified counter-terrorism operations across the country.
Earlier this month, security forces killed an alleged terrorist commander during an operation in Bannu district. Officials said the deceased was a close associate and facilitator of terrorist commander Akhtar Muhammad and had allegedly been involved in several militant activities.
Before that, on June 13, the military’s media wing announced that security forces had killed 27 terrorists in a series of operations conducted over a 72-hour period in the Miranshah area of North Waziristan district.