Pakistani police and local peace committee members carried out a successful counterterrorism operation in Wanda Amir, Lakki Marwat district, neutralising a key khariji commander (khariji is a terrorist affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the state has officially designated this terror outfit as Fitna al-Khawarij) wanted for multiple deadly attacks, officials confirmed Monday.
The slain militant was identified as Hikmatullah, also known by the aliases Hamza and Ladaka (the latter means fighter), a resident of Khwaida Khel in Lakki City. According to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Bannu, he was implicated in a string of targeted killings, extortion rackets, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, and other acts of terrorism across the region.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bannu Sajjad Khan and District Police Officer (DPO) Lakki Marwat Nazeer Khan praised the joint police–community action, lauding the “frontline role” of Lakki Marwat’s citizens and security forces in resisting militancy. “Together with the people, we will root out terrorism from this district once and for all,” RPO Khan declared.
The operation comes on the heels of a major security sweep in Darsha Khel, a remote village in Karak near the Lakki Marwat border, where Pakistani forces recently killed 17 militants of the outlawed Maulvi Nazeer group. Among those neutralized was a Bangladeshi national, a discovery officials say validates Pakistan’s repeated warnings that transnational fighters are infiltrating the region.
Authorities emphasized that the presence of foreign militants highlights the ongoing threat posed by the banned TTP and affiliated organisations. “These groups are not only a danger to Pakistan’s internal security but also a serious risk to regional and global peace,” a senior security source told reporters.
Officials note that these concerns have been consistently raised by Pakistan at international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently underscored the dangers posed by the TTP and other militant outfits having safe havens in Afghanistan. Islamabad maintains that the emergence of foreign fighters, such as the Bangladeshi militant killed in Karak, strengthens its call for coordinated global action to curb terrorism that threatens not only South Asia but worldwide stability.
