Six terrorists killed in CTD operation in K-P's Lakki Marwat
Photo: File
Six terrorists belonging to the banned Fitna-al-Khawarij terrorist group were killed in an intelligence-based operation carried out by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Lakki Marwat on Saturday.
According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, the CTD neutralised terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij, a term the state uses for terrorists of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who were involved in the martyrdom of seven police personnel during an attack on Friday.
During the operation, a large cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered.
Read: SHO among seven cops martyred in Lakki Marwat IED blast
The development comes after at least seven police personnel, including the station house officer of Shadi Khel police station, were killed when an improvised explosive device targeted a police mobile in Lakki Marwat.
President Asif Ali Zardari commended the CTD officers and personnel for carrying out the operation in the Shagai area of Lakki Marwat.
In a statement issued by the President Secretariat’s media wing, he praised the “bravery, professionalism and timely action” of the CTD team that eliminated six militants.
“The operations against the terrorists of Fitna-al-Khawarij, who are active with external support, are very significant for peace in the country,” the president said.
He added that the state was confronting both internal and external threats of terrorism with full force.
“Any attempt to target Pakistan’s urban areas 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 every possible step to safeguard its territory and citizens from terrorism.
صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا شاگئی، لکی مروت میں فتنہ الخوارج کے خلاف کامیاب کارروائی پر سی ٹی ڈی کے افسران اور اہلکاروں کو خراجِ تحسین۔
صدرِ مملکت نے آپریشن میں 6 خارجی دہشت گردوں کی ہلاکت پر سی ٹی ڈی ٹیم کی جرات، مہارت اور بروقت کارروائی کو سراہا۔
بیرونی پشت پناہی میں سرگرم…Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also lauded the CTD personnel for the operation.
Also Read: 13 terrorists killed in intelligence-based operations across K-P, military says
In a statement, he praised the professional capabilities of CTD officers for killing six militants during the operation.
“The entire nation stands by the security forces and law enforcement agencies in their determination to eradicate terrorism,” the prime minister said.
وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی شاگئی، لکی مروت میں فتنہ الخوارج کے خلاف کامیاب آپریشن پر سی ٹی ڈی کے افسران و اہلکاروں کی پزیرائی. @CMShehbaz pic.twitter.com/IQdtloaFS6
Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation. Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022 and over the same period, TTP attacks increased more than sevenfold to 838 from 118.
The federal government has been consistently raising its voice on international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and using its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan — a development attested to 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.