Wana, November 11, 2025: At least 350 people were evacuated on Tuesday from Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan amid an ongoing clearance operation by Pakistani security forces against Afghan militants hiding inside the educational institution, officials confirmed.
According to security sources, all cadets are safe, though around 300 individuals remain inside as the operation continues. The operation is being led by the Inspector General of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South) and is being carried out with “extreme caution and strategic planning” to ensure the safety of the students.
“Due to the presence of Afghan militants inside the college, security forces are conducting the operation with utmost care to protect the cadets,” a senior security official told reporters, adding that the operation will continue “until the last terrorist is eliminated.”
Operation details
State-run PTV, citing security officials, reported that around 650 people — including 525 cadets — were present at the college at the time of the attack. Earlier, two terrorists were killed on Monday after ramming an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the institution, causing severe damage to the entrance and an adjacent building.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, addressing the media in Islamabad, confirmed that three people were martyred during the operation but did not specify their identities. He said the terrorists’ plan to hold cadets hostage had failed due to the timely response of security forces.
“We are very clear that Afghanistan is directly involved in the entire attack,” Naqvi said. “The attackers were Afghan nationals and remained in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan throughout the night.”
Naqvi called for unity in the face of external threats, urging the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to stand with Pakistan’s armed forces.
“They (terrorists) are trying to defame you and exploit local ties, but Pakistan must be our top priority. Any other country comes later,” he remarked.
Security sources said that three Afghan militants, referred to as “khwarij” — a term used for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — were still hiding inside a building at the college. The area has been completely surrounded, and the operation is ongoing to neutralize them.
“The terrorists are continuously taking directives from handlers in Afghanistan via telephone,” said one official.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday that the attackers were in contact with their Afghan handlers and receiving instructions throughout the night.
“This blatant act of barbarism, orchestrated by khwarij from Afghanistan, contradicts the Afghan Taliban regime’s claims that no such groups operate on their soil,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Attack mirrors 2014 APS tragedy
Officials compared the latest attack to the Army Public School (APS) massacre of December 16, 2014, in which 147 people, including 132 schoolchildren, were martyred.
“These terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy group Fitna al-Khawarij tried to repeat the barbaric act of 2014,” said a security source. “They have no connection with Islam or the prosperity of Pakistan’s people.”
Security forces said the militants targeted the cadet college to spread fear among tribal youth pursuing education in the region.
“Their aim is to terrorize students who are striving for a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities,” a military official stated.
Nationwide counterterror operations
The Wana attack follows a series of anti-terror operations across Pakistan. On Monday, security forces killed 20 militants in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) — eight in North Waziristan and 12 in Darra Adam Khel, while another four were eliminated in Kalat, Balochistan.
Pakistan has faced a sharp resurgence in terrorism since the TTP ended its ceasefire in late 2022, with most attacks targeting security forces, police, and civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The ongoing clearance operation in Wana marks one of the most significant counterterror actions in the tribal belt this year, underscoring the persistent threat from Afghan-based militants despite repeated diplomatic engagements with Kabul.
