Two militants killed, police constable martyred in Lakki Marwat operation

LAKKI MARWAT: Two militants were killed and a police constable was martyred during an exchange of fire in Lakki Marwat district, police said on Monday.

District police spokesperson Qudratullah Khan said the clash began when police launched a targeted operation in a forest near the Khundan area along the border with Bannu district. He said a large police force had been sent to the area after local law enforcement authorities received what he described as credible intelligence that militants of Fitna-al-Khawarij were hiding in the forest. Fitna al Khawarij is the term used by the state for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

According to the spokesperson, the gun battle continued for some time. “The exchange of fire continued for some time, resulting in the neutralisation and killing of two terrorists,” he said, adding that police constable Attiqur Rehman was martyred in the fighting.

Qudratullah Khan further said several militants were also wounded in the clash but managed to flee with the help of their accomplices, taking advantage of the darkness and the dense forest cover.

He identified one of the dead militants as Commander Amir Sohail alias Umar Khitab. The spokesperson said the slain militant was wanted by the Counter-Terrorism Department in cases related to target killings, attacks on police and security personnel, bomb blasts and other terrorism incidents.

He said a large search operation was continuing in the area to trace and arrest the fleeing militants. According to him, the operation was being carried out by a heavy police contingent and CTD commandos, with armoured personnel carriers also deployed.

Recent security situation

Last month, security forces killed four Indian-sponsored militants in an intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed an increase in militant violence over the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, the province saw a sharp rise in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.

This represented an absolute increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82 per cent of the net national rise and marking almost a 44pc year-on-year surge in violence in the province.

The latest incident adds to the series of militant attacks and counterterrorism operations reported from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent months.