PESHAWAR: Police and security forces killed three “terrorists” during a joint security operation in the volatile northwestern Bannu district on Thursday, police said, vowing to maintain law and order in the area.
The security operation was conducted in Bannu district’s Akbar Ali Khan, Asparka and Domel areas.
“During the operation, three terrorists were killed while several others were injured,” the spokesperson for the Bannu regional police officer said in a statement.
He said a search operation is being carried out in the area to arrest the “terrorists” that had fled.
“The terrorists will be brought to justice, and the law and order situation will be maintained at all costs,” Deputy Inspector General Bannu Sajjad Khan said.
Bannu district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months.
Police said on Monday it thwarted an ambush by the Pakistani Taliban and killed two militants during a fierce gunbattle in the district.
Four members of a pro-government peace committee were also killed by militants in Bannu district earlier this month.
In 2025, Bannu police said it recorded 134 attacks on police stations, checkpoints and those targeting its personnel. At least 27 police officers were killed, while authorities say 53 militants died in the clashes.
Pakistan blames the Afghan government for providing sanctuaries for Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants that it alleges launch attacks against Islamabad from Afghan soil.
Afghanistan denies the allegations and urges Pakistan to resolve its security challenges without pointing fingers at Kabul.
