K-P sees 50% surge in terror attacks in 2025

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa experienced a significant surge in terrorism during 2025, with over 500 attacks reported, marking a 50 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

According to a detailed security assessment obtained by The Express Tribune, the province faced 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, reflecting a rapidly escalating militant threat across both settled and tribal regions. Despite the rise in attacks, security forces managed to prevent 320 major strikes, while 137 police officers and personnel laid down their lives in the line of duty.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) report highlights that joint operations carried out by K-P police, CTD, and security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected terrorists, while 420 high-profile militants were neutralized in intelligence-based operations.

Districts such as Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, and Peshawar remained the most frequently targeted, with a noticeable pattern of attacks planned and executed from across the Afghan border.

Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, in an interview with The Express Tribune, acknowledged the increase in attacks on police but noted that the number of police casualties had decreased compared to last year. He emphasized that advanced technologies, including anti-drone systems and thermal imaging, enabled counterterrorism teams to stay ahead of militants' shifting tactics.

According to the IGP, weapons that were once used by NATO forces in Afghanistan are now being found in the possession of terrorists operating in K-P's tribal belt and southern districts. Yet, he stressed, police remained firmly on the frontline, setting new benchmarks in counterterrorism efforts.

In a significant development, the federal government approved a historic Rs1 billion package for policing in the merged tribal districts. This funding will support the construction of police lines, new police stations, and the procurement of bulletproof vehicles and jackets, marking the first substantial investment in the region's security apparatus. IGP said this upgraded infrastructure will strengthen policing capacity in areas adjacent to the Afghan border, where militant infiltration remains a persistent challenge. He added that militants attempted to establish illegal checkpoints on highways in DI Khan and parts of Bannu earlier this year, but state authority has since been fully restored.

The CTD report also points to a 56 per cent increase in attacks targeting police personnel, rising from 327 in 2024 to 510 in 2025. Throughout the year, security agencies conducted 2,791 search-and-strike operations and uncovered 25 high-value foreign terrorist operatives linked to global militant networks. Meanwhile, extortion rackets operating in Peshawar and other districts were systematically dismantled.

Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed confirmed that the notorious Lali Group, which was wanted in nearly 30 criminal cases, had been eliminated in a recent police operation.