Bannu operation kills one militant, eight detained in third day of raids

An intelligence based operation continued for a third consecutive day across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Sunday, leaving one terrorist dead and eight individuals in custody, according to police.

District Police Officer Captain retired Muhammad Furqan Bilal led the operation, which brought together district police, the Elite Force, the Counter Terrorism Department and the army in a joint effort centered on the village of Grera Shah Jahan. Army units cordoned off the area during the operation and set up blocking positions at key points to prevent anyone from escaping.

A statement from the DPO’s office said police killed a terrorist while he attempted to plant an improvised explosive device. Authorities recovered an AK-47 rifle, several magazines and a bandolier from the man following the incident.

Police said they detained eight suspicious individuals during the broader operation and have since handed them over to the Counter Terrorism Department and district police for joint technical investigation. Search teams also recovered two Honda CD-125 motorcycles and a rickshaw from the home of a wanted terrorist known as Zargul, alias Uncle.

Bannu police said joint operations involving law enforcement and security agencies will continue in an effort to eliminate terrorism, maintain law and order and protect the lives and property of local residents. Officials commended the DPO’s leadership and his sustained commitment to public safety, according to the statement, and police reaffirmed their intention to keep working alongside security agencies to pursue remaining threats.

Sunday’s operation follows an announcement Friday from the military’s media wing, which said security forces killed 24 terrorists in Bannu district and surrounding areas over the preceding 24 hours. A statement from Inter Services Public Relations said the region has recently experienced a surge in terrorist activity targeting police and involving suicide bombings. It said security forces launched extensive joint intelligence based operations to track down those responsible for the attacks along with their broader support networks, attributing the violence to a group it described as an Indian proxy operating under the name Fitna al Khawarij, the term Pakistani authorities use for the banned Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan.

Bannu district has faced repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security personnel coming under attack amid a wider escalation of militant violence in the region. In the most recent major incident before Sunday’s operation, a police official died and six security personnel along with four civilians suffered injuries after terrorists attacked a police station in the district Wednesday night. Attackers attempted to ram a vehicle loaded with explosives into Miryan Police Station, triggering a powerful blast followed by an extended exchange of gunfire between the terrorists and police.

According to police, the attackers tried to storm the police station immediately after the initial explosion, but officers and security forces responded quickly and prevented them from breaching the facility. The string of terrorism incidents in Bannu, including attacks on police and on local jirga members, has prompted a series of targeted operations by police and security forces across multiple localities in an effort to dismantle militant networks operating in the district.

Officials have not indicated when the current round of operations in Bannu might conclude, though authorities have signaled that pressure on militant networks in the district will continue as security forces work to prevent further attacks following the recent surge in violence.