PESHAWAR: Nine terrorists were killed and three security personnel injured during a fierce exchange of fire in an intelligence-based operation in the Zargari Shinawari area of Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Saturday.
The operation, conducted jointly by security forces and the police, comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across Pakistan—particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan—following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022.
According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, security personnel displayed exceptional courage during the operation, engaging in a heavy firefight with militants. Five terrorists were killed during the initial phase of the encounter.
A subsequent statement from Kohat Regional Police Officer DIG Abbas Majeed confirmed that a total of nine terrorists had been eliminated in the operation. It also stated that Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan, who was injured during the exchange, was currently being treated at Kohat’s Combined Military Hospital and is out of danger.
The statement added that DPO Khan sustained three bullet wounds, while the Doaba Station House Officer (SHO) and a member of the security forces were also wounded.
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Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi phoned DPO Khan to commend his bravery and resolve. “The nation will never forget the sacrifices of its brave sons. We are committed to achieving final victory in the war against terrorism,” the minister said.
IGP Hameed also visited the injured personnel to check on their condition and reaffirmed the commitment of law enforcement agencies to continue the fight against militancy.
According to the latest Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan ranks second globally in terms of terrorism impact, with deaths from terrorist attacks rising by 45% over the past year—reaching a total of 1,081 fatalities. KP remains a hotspot, witnessing a consistent increase in terrorist incidents.