A large-scale counterterrorism operation involving police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) teams, and security forces was carried out across multiple areas of Bannu district, including Domel, Akbar Ali Khan Kallay, Sada Khel, Dogar Umarzai, and Sadrun, amid ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and restore state authority in the region.
According to security sources, the joint search-and-strike operation targeted areas believed to contain organised hideouts and logistical networks linked to Fitna al-Khwarij elements. One of the identified zones also reportedly included the native area of a wanted terrorist commander known as “Geedar.”
The operation was launched on the basis of intelligence reports and focused heavily on tracking facilitators, informers, and support structures allegedly assisting terrorist movements and operational planning in the district.
Authorities confirmed that house-to-house searches were conducted in suspected locations and sensitive pockets identified through intelligence-based assessments. During the operation, 23 suspects were taken into custody for further interrogation.
Security teams divided the operational zone into multiple sectors, with police and CTD units sealing and clearing one section while security forces simultaneously conducted coordinated search activities in adjoining areas to prevent militant escape routes and movement corridors.
Armoured vehicles, bomb disposal units, rapid response teams, and specialised search personnel participated in the operation as authorities tightened security around areas considered vulnerable to terrorist infiltration and movement.
Officials stated that the primary objectives of the operation included re-establishing the writ of the state, securing the strategically important Bannu Link Road, disrupting terrorist mobility, and neutralising potential threats before they could materialise into attacks.
Sources said terrorist elements fled several locations ahead of advancing forces, abandoning positions as security teams tightened the operational perimeter around suspected hideouts.
During the crackdown, authorities also detained individuals suspected of facilitating terrorist activity, with investigators expecting further leads and intelligence disclosures during the ongoing interrogation process.
The latest operation comes amid intensified counterterrorism activity across Bannu and adjoining districts following recent attacks targeting police and security personnel in the region.
Security analysts note that operations are increasingly focusing not only on armed terrorists themselves but also on the wider facilitation infrastructure, including informers, safe houses, logistical networks, and local support mechanisms that allow terrorist groups to maintain operational presence in sensitive areas.
Officials reiterated that intelligence-based operations and search missions would continue across Bannu district as part of broader efforts aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and preventing further attacks against civilians, police, and state institutions.
