CTD neutralizes two ‘most-wanted terrorists’ in Tank operation

• IBO conducted following credible intelligence on terrorists’ presence in Gomal area

• Terrorists linked to TTP’s Mushtaq group, involved in killings and IED attacks on police

• KP IGP Zulfiqar Hameed commends SWAT team; assures ongoing vigilance

 TANK/PESHAWAR: Two of the “most-wanted terrorists” affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were neutralized on Wednesday during an intelligence-based operation conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed.

According to a CTD press release, personnel carried out the operation within the remit of Gomal Police following “credible intelligence about the terrorists’ presence.”

“The suspects opened intense fire upon spotting the CTD team, prompting a gunfight that lasted approximately 40 minutes. During the follow-up search, two terrorists were found dead,” the statement said.

Security officials recovered two Kalashnikov rifles, six magazines with cartridges, and two bandoliers from the slain suspects.

The CTD confirmed that the terrorists were part of the TTP’s Mushtaq group and had been involved in multiple attacks on law enforcement personnel, including the targeted killing of a head constable and the abduction and murder of another constable. They had also carried out IED attacks on police and were involved in an attack on a judges’ convoy in Lakki Marwat in August 2024, which claimed the lives of two police personnel.

KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed and Additional IG CTD commended the CTD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team for the successful operation. Both officers reaffirmed that law enforcement agencies would remain vigilant to protect the public, and that such operations to eradicate terrorism would continue unabated.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a rise in terrorist attacks over the past year. The Annual Security Report 2025 by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) recorded 2,331 fatalities in KP, up from 1,620 in 2024—a year-on-year surge of 44 percent, accounting for over 82 percent of the national rise in violence.

The CTD has continued robust counterterrorism measures in the province:

Ten days ago, six terrorists were killed in a joint operation in Kohat district by the CTD and local police.

Last month, nine police personnel, including a DSP, were martyred in separate attacks in Punjab’s Bhakkar district and KP’s Kohat and Wana areas.

Days prior, three Federal Constabulary personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in KP’s Karak.

The operation in Tank underscores the CTD’s ongoing efforts to neutralize terrorist threats and ensure public safety across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.