MALAKAND: At least five terrorists were killed, and eight others were arrested in a joint operation carried out by police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and other security agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district on Saturday, according to police.
According to the police, the operation was carried out in the Sakhakot and Mehrday areas of tehsil Dargai in the Malakand district while acting on a tip-off about the presence of the terrorists of Finta al-Khawarij.
According to Dargai Tehsil Assistant Commissioner Waheedullah Khan, a major operation was carried out in the Mehrday and Sakhakot areas.
“Police and CTD took part in the successful operation,” the AC said. “Five terrorists were eliminated and two were injured, while eight were captured alive.”
The AC added that the arrested terrorists were transported to the CTD center, while the injured were moved to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Dargai.
The Dargai AC confirmed that the terrorists belonged to the Finta al-Khawarij were behind attacks in the region.
Earlier in the day, nine terrorists were killed and three security officers were injured in an exchange of fire during an operation in KP’s Hangu district, police said.
“Nine terrorists killed in Hangu operation, District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan is undergoing treatment at the Kohat Combined Military Hospital,” a statement issued by Kohat Regional Police Officer Deputy Inspector General Abbas Majeed read.
“The operation is continuing successfully, and full action is being taken against the terrorists,” the statement added. It further read that DPO Khan was out of danger.
Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 percent over the past year to 1,081. KP has seen an increasing trend of terrorism-related incidents.
Faced with increasing attacks by militants, security forces have also intensified counterterrorism operations in KP and Balochistan.
