Security forces kill 24 in two KP operations: ISPR

WEB DESK: Security forces carried out two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 24 militants belonging the Fitna al-Khawarij, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the first operation was conducted in Orakzai district on the basis of credible intelligence regarding the presence of militants in the area.

During an exchange of fire, 14 militants were killed, the ISPR said.

In a second intelligence-based operation carried out in Khyber district, security forces engaged another militant hideout, resulting in elimination of 10 militants.

The ISPR added that clearance operations were also conducted in the surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining militants and to ensure the region was fully sanitised.

Security forces remain committed to putting an end to the threat of terrorism from the country, the statement said.

Constable martyred

A police constable was abducted from his home and shot dead by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, officials said, amid a continuing surge in militant violence across the country. The incident took place in the Darga forest near Sarai Naurang, where the constable, who was undergoing training at the Hangu Training School, was taken after being kidnapped from his residence late Tuesday night.

Funeral prayers were held with official honours at the Lakki Marwat Police Lines, attended by senior police officers, district officials and personnel. District Police Officer Nazir Khan paid tribute to the martyred constable, calling his sacrifice a symbol of bravery and resolve, and vowed intensified operations against Fitna al-Khawarij, the state’s term for TTP militants.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant attacks since the TTP ended its ceasefire in November 2022, with KP and Balochistan most affected. A recent report noted a significant increase in attacks and terrorism-related fatalities in 2025.