Hangu, August 2, 2026: Security forces have killed the alleged mastermind of the deadly terrorist attack on the Khazina Banda police checkpost in Hangu that claimed the lives of nine police personnel on July 30, security sources said on Sunday.
According to security officials, the slain militant was identified as Amir Mauviya, who was killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Chapri Naryab area of Hangu district.
The sources said Amir Mauviya held a key position within Fitna-al-Khawarij, the term used by the Pakistani state for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and was wanted in several terrorism-related cases.
Officials said counterterrorism operations have been intensified under Operation 11 Garaj to dismantle militant networks operating in the region.
The July 30 attack on the Khazina Banda police checkpost left nine police officials, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), martyred, while 28 others were injured. During the assault, security personnel repelled the attackers and killed 15 terrorists in the ensuing exchange of fire.
The latest operation comes amid an intensified campaign against militant groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces have conducted a series of intelligence-based operations following a surge in terrorist attacks.
On Sunday, two police personnel sustained minor injuries when an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a police van near Pir Zakorhi Bridge close to the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway toll plaza.
Earlier, on July 29, a police officer embraced martyrdom while four terrorists were killed during a security operation in Matta Tehsil of Swat.
Just days before that, terrorists attacked a joint security checkpost in Tank district, where 15 people, including 12 soldiers, two police personnel and a government official, were martyred.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attackers attempted to breach the checkpost’s perimeter but were repelled by security forces, who eliminated 12 terrorists. The military said the assailants later rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall, causing significant damage to the facility.
Meanwhile, terrorism-related violence continues to pose serious security challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), security personnel fatalities in terrorism incidents across KP’s settled districts rose sharply from 12 in June to 38 in July, while the number of terrorists killed increased from 37 to 108, representing a 192 per cent increase.
The report noted that civilian deaths in the settled districts declined from 26 to seven during the same period, while one member of a local peace committee also lost his life.
In the province’s merged tribal districts, security personnel fatalities increased from six to 11, terrorist deaths declined from 72 to 55, while civilian fatalities rose from seven to 13, highlighting the continuing security challenges in the region.
