Intelligence reports suggest that the terrorists present in different areas of Lachi were planning a major attack.
A photo of CTD staff. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
At least six terrorists were killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat on Sunday in an exchange of fire in a joint operation of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police, officials said.
Kohat district police official Shehbaz Elahi said the operation was carried out after intelligence reports indicated that terrorists were present in different areas of Lachi and were planning a major attack.
Following this information, large contingents of CTD and police launched a joint search and strike operation in the area.
According to DPO Elahi, the suspects opened fire as soon as they saw the security personnel. Police and CTD officers returned fire, provoking an exchange in which six terrorists were killed.
Police said weapons were also recovered from the terrorists. The DPO added that the area has been completely cordoned off and a search operation is continuing.
On Saturday, six terrorists were killed during an intelligence operation carried out by the KP CTD in Lakki Marwat. The development came after at least seven policemen, including the in-charge of Shadi Khel police station, were martyred on Friday when an improvised explosive device targeted a police mobile in Lakki Marwat.
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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.
