Pakistan’s security forces eliminated two senior Afghanistan-based terrorists affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in separate intelligence-based operations conducted in South Waziristan and Bajaur districts, officials confirmed on Sunday. Both individuals were key operatives linked to cross-border terrorism directed from Afghan soil.
In the first operation, an important Afghan terrorist commander affiliated with the TTP network was killed in the South Waziristan district. Security officials said the terrorist hailed from Gul Shah Khel village of Argun in Paktika province, Afghanistan, and had been involved in coordinating attacks and providing cross-border facilitation to militant cells operating inside Pakistan. His presence in the region was confirmed through intelligence inputs tracking his movements and operational links.
In a separate successful operation carried out in Mamund Tehsil of Bajaur district, security forces eliminated another prominent terrorist identified as Ziauddin alias Talha, son of Saifuddin Khalid and a resident of Dandi Ghori, Baghlan province, Afghanistan. Officials stated that Ziauddin was a key operative associated with the TTP’s Afghanistan-based structure and actively involved in planning, recruiting and facilitating terrorist activities against Pakistan.
According to security sources, both operations were part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Afghanistan-based terrorist networks attempting to infiltrate Pakistan or direct attacks from across the border. The elimination of these two militants, they said, marks a significant setback for the TTP’s external command chain, which has relied on sanctuaries and support structures inside Afghanistan.
The areas were thoroughly secured following the engagements, and subsequent search operations confirmed that no additional militants were present. Weapons, communication equipment and other material were recovered from the terrorists, providing further insight into their linkages and operational roles.
Security officials reiterated that Pakistan’s forces remain fully committed to eradicating terrorism and will continue to target any networks attempting to exploit cross-border sanctuaries for violent activities. They added that sustained intelligence-driven operations will persist to ensure lasting stability in the newly targeted regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
