Six militants killed during CTD operation in Lakki Marwat

Six terrorists belonging to the banned Fitna-al-Khawarij terrorist group were killed on Saturday during an intelligence operation carried out by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Lakki Marwat.

According to the public channel Radio Pakistanthe CTD neutralized terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarija term the state uses to refer to terrorists from the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who were involved in the martyrdom of seven policemen in an attack on Friday.

During the operation, a large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered.

Read: SHO among seven cops martyred in IED blast in Lakki Marwat

The development comes after at least seven policemen, including the in-charge of Shadi Khel police station, were killed when an improvised explosive device targeted a police mobile in Lakki Marwat.

President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated the officers and staff of CTD for carrying out the operation in Shagai area of ​​Lakki Marwat.

In a statement issued by the media wing of the Presidential Secretariat, he praised the “courage, professionalism and timely action” of the CTD team which eliminated six militants.

“Operations against the terrorists of Fitna-al-Khawarijwho are active with external support, are very important for peace in the country,” the president said.

He added that the state was facing internal and external terrorist threats with full force.

“Any attempt targeting urban areas of Pakistan will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s armed forces and security institutions were fully prepared and determined to defend the country and protect its people.

President Zardari said Pakistan would continue to take all possible measures to protect its territory and citizens from terrorism.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the CTD staff for the operation.

Read also: 13 terrorists killed during intelligence operations in KP, says army

In a statement, he praised the professional abilities of the CTD officers who killed six militants during the operation.

“The entire nation supports the security forces and law enforcement in their determination to eradicate terrorism,” the Prime Minister said.

Terrorism is a growing problem in Pakistan, with the number of attacks increasing every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organization. ACLED data shows that attacks in Pakistan have increased almost fourfold, from 658 in 2022 to 2,425 in 2025, and over the same period, TTP attacks increased sevenfold, from 118 to 838.

The federal government has consistently raised its voice at international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan – a development attested by the United Nations Security Council.

Last month, a suicide bomber struck the Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad, killing 36 people and injuring around 169 others. The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.