By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed seven militants in two operations in the restive North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, military officials said on Tuesday, amid a surge in violence that also claimed the lives of a senior government administrator and three others in a separate ambush nearby.
The operations, described by the military as intelligence-based, targeted members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, whom the government refers to as Fitna al Khawarij, or simply khawarij. In the first raid, in the general area of Mir Ali, troops engaged the militants in an intense firefight, resulting in the deaths of six, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, six khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement said.
A seventh militant was killed in a similar operation in Spinwam, the military added, with weapons and ammunition recovered from the sites. The militants “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces, law enforcement agencies and target killing of innocent civilians,” the statement said.
The raids were part of a broader counterterrorism push under the banner of Azm-i-Istehkam, a strategy approved by the federal government’s apex committee on the National Action Plan. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area as [a] relentless Counter Terrorism campaign … by [the] security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out [the] menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”
The announcement came hours after an attack in the adjacent Bannu district that killed Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali, two police officers and a civilian, underscoring the persistent threat from insurgents in the region. Bannu’s deputy inspector general of police, Sajjad Khan, confirmed the casualties, describing the assault as sudden and brutal. “The attack was sudden, and after opening fire on the vehicle, the assailants also set it on fire,” Khan said. He added that the area had been cordoned off and that a search was underway for the perpetrators. “Security forces and police are conducting a joint operation. Security in the area has been put on high alert and investigations are being carried out from every angle.”
Bilal Saqib, the assistant commissioner’s secretary, provided further details, saying the ambush occurred around 10 am as Wali was en route to a court appearance near Mamash Khel’s Masoomabad. “The assistant commissioner was on his way to appear before a court when he was ambushed,” Saqib told reporters. He said two constables and a civilian working in nearby fields were killed, while two other police officials were injured.
Miranshah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan, lies close to Bannu, a volatile area long plagued by militant activity. The attack drew swift condemnation from Pakistan’s top leaders. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and condemned the assault, according to a statement shared by his Pakistan Peoples Party on the social media platform X. He said the elimination of terrorists “operating with external support against the country was being carried out with national consensus.” Zardari prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed agencies to arrest the attackers immediately.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also mourned the losses, including that of the assistant commissioner, in a statement from his office posted on X. He prayed for the departed souls and offered condolences to the bereaved families. “The government is committed to eliminating terrorism from the country,” the statement said.
The violence reflects a broader escalation in terrorist activities across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. The group, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has since vowed to target security forces, police and law enforcement personnel. Tuesday’s events followed a day of bloodshed in the region. On Monday, two policemen were killed and five others injured in a suicide bombing and gun attack in the Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts.
In July, an assistant commissioner and a tehsildar were among five killed, with 17 others injured, in a roadside bomb explosion targeting an official vehicle in Bajaur’s Sadiqabad area. Security analysts say the uptick in attacks has strained Pakistan’s counterinsurgency efforts, with militants exploiting porous borders and local grievances to mount ambushes and raids.
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