Security forces carried out a successful intelligence-based operation in the Sardi Khel area of Bannu, intercepting a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition, sources said.
According to initial reports, the vehicle carrying suspected terrorists was identified on the basis of credible intelligence. When security forces attempted to intercept it, the occupants opened fire, triggering a retaliatory response.
During the exchange of fire, the weapons-laden vehicle was destroyed in an explosion, resulting in the elimination of all four terrorists onboard. Officials said the exact nature of the explosion is being assessed as part of the ongoing investigation.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search and clearance operation to ensure no further threats remained in the vicinity.
This development comes amid a series of recent security incidents in the broader Bannu district, including an attack on a private ambulance on the Ghoriwala section of the CPEC Road, where four bodies were recovered from the vehicle following armed firing by unidentified assailants.
In a separate earlier incident, a mortar shell struck a residential house in the Miryan area, killing a woman and injuring a child. Both incidents are under investigation by relevant authorities as part of ongoing security assessments in the region.
Officials said intelligence-based operations will continue across sensitive areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to dismantle terrorist networks and prevent further attacks targeting both security forces and civilians.
