Eight terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also designated as Fitna-al-Khawarij, were killed during a joint counterterrorism operation in Lower Dir, police officials said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Lower Dir Senior Superintendent of Police Bilal Haider confirmed that the operation, launched three days ago, targeted militant hideouts in the region. “So far, we have reports of eight terrorists killed, with the bodies of five recovered. The search for the remaining militants is ongoing,” he said. The clearance operation faced challenges due to dense foliage and adverse weather conditions.
The clashes resulted in casualties on both sides. Five security personnel and three civilians, including a two-year-old child, were killed, while several policemen sustained injuries. Officials reported that prior operations in Upper Dir and Lower Dir had left five suspected militants dead and seven policemen injured, amid hours-long exchanges of fire in the Dobando area.
A senior official of the Counter-Terrorism Department noted that the recovered bodies might indicate links with militants across the Afghan border. In Lajbook Dara, Lower Dir, militants torched police vehicles during heavy firing, although no casualties were reported there. The outlawed TTP later claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.
Terrorist activities in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have surged since the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Recent attacks have largely targeted police and law enforcement personnel, prompting intensified counterterrorism measures by state agencies.
Authorities confirmed that operations would continue across a 20-kilometre stretch of Upper Dir until the last militant is eliminated. The government has instructed all institutions to refer to TTP operatives as khariji (outcast) when discussing acts of terrorism in Pakistan.