BANNU: Pakistan’s security forces killed five militants during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Bannu District, while two personnel including a lieutenant colonel were martyred after militants targeted their convoy, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operation was launched after reports indicated the presence of militants, including a suicide bomber. Troops intercepted a vehicle-borne attacker before he could strike civilians or law enforcement personnel in Bannu city, thereby preventing what officials described as a potentially large-scale tragedy.
During the ensuing exchange of fire, security forces killed five militants affiliated with what the military termed “Fitna al-Khwarij.” In a retaliatory move, the attackers rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into one of the security vehicles.
The ISPR said Shahzada Gul Faraz, a 43-year-old lieutenant colonel from Mansehra known for leading from the front, embraced martyrdom in the line of duty. Sepoy Karamat Shah, 28, from Peshawar, was also martyred in the attack.
The military further stated that the Afghan Taliban government has not effectively prevented militants from using Afghan territory to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, even during the holy month of Ramadan. It emphasized that operations against those responsible would continue without restraint, regardless of their location.
The statement added that counterterrorism efforts under Vision Azm-e-Istehkam would proceed at full intensity, reaffirming the country’s resolve to combat what it described as foreign-sponsored militancy.
The Bannu operation came days after an attack in Bajaur District on February 17, in which 11 security personnel were martyred and 12 militants were killed in the subsequent response.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border militant activity, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which border Afghanistan.
In a January 6 press briefing, ISPR Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations nationwide in 2025. Of these, 14,658 took place in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of the country.
He further noted that 5,397 terrorist incidents were recorded nationwide last year, with KP reporting 3,811 cases and Balochistan 1,557, while 29 incidents occurred elsewhere. Counterterrorism operations resulted in the killing of 2,597 militants, he added, including responses to 10 major attacks on civilians and other soft targets, which authorities said involved fighters operating from Afghan soil.
