Peshawar, July 19, 2025: In a significant counterterrorism operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district, nine terrorists were killed and three security personnel injured during a fierce exchange of fire, according to police sources.
The joint operation was conducted by security forces and police in the Zargari Shinawari area of Hangu. KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed the details, stating that law enforcement agencies engaged in intense combat with the militants, resulting in heavy casualties on the terrorist side.
District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan, Doaba Station House Officer (SHO), and a security official were injured during the operation. DPO Khan sustained three bullet injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Kohat Combined Military Hospital. Officials confirmed his condition is now stable.
Kohat Regional Police Officer, DIG Abbas Majeed, described the operation as a “continuing success,” adding that “full action is being taken to eliminate terrorist threats.” He emphasized that efforts would persist until the region is cleared of all militant elements.
Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi telephoned the injured DPO to commend his courage and resolve. “The nation will never forget the sacrifices of its brave sons,” the minister said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to achieving a decisive victory against terrorism.
This operation comes amid a troubling rise in militant violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the collapse of the ceasefire between the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government in November 2022.
Pakistan currently ranks second on the Global Terrorism Index 2025. The number of fatalities from terror attacks surged by 45% in the past year, with 1,081 lives lost—many of them in KP.
In recent months, a wave of attacks has rocked the province. On June 21, KP police thwarted a terrorist plot in Dera Ismail Khan, killing one militant and injuring two others linked to the TTP. In May, a suicide attack in Peshawar claimed the lives of two policemen and injured two others. A separate assault on a checkpoint in Bannu also left two officers martyred.
In response to the growing threat, security forces have intensified operations. Earlier this week, three “wanted terrorists” were neutralized in Bannu during a joint operation by regional police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). On July 5, three suspected TTP Tipu Gul group members were killed in another CTD-led raid.
Law enforcement agencies remain resolute in their mission to eradicate militancy and ensure peace in the region.
