Terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, officially declared by authorities as Fitna al-Khwarij (FAK), have reportedly appeared in the ancestral region of Sohail Afridi, sparking alarm after a video circulating on social media showed suspected fighters patrolling the area.
The footage, widely shared online, allegedly shows militants riding a double-seater cabin and moving through Sahalobar in Bara, part of Khyber District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The area is known as the ancestral locality of the provincial chief minister, making the incident particularly sensitive.
According to local sources, the militants were also seen briefly setting up a checkpoint in Bara Bazaar, where they reportedly stopped vehicles and conducted searches. The unexpected blockade created panic among residents and traders, many of whom said the development raised serious concerns about the state’s writ in the region.
Khyber district, located along the historic Khyber Pass corridor near Peshawar, has long held strategic importance as one of South Asia’s most significant transit and trade routes linking Pakistan with Afghanistan. For centuries it served as a gateway for trade caravans, empires, and invading forces moving between Central and South Asia.
In recent months, however, the district has returned to national headlines due to a deteriorating security situation. Analysts point to a growing narco-politico-terror nexus, involving smuggling networks, militant groups, and criminal syndicates operating across the frontier belt.
Security officials have repeatedly warned that militant elements displaced from other tribal districts are attempting to re-establish operational footholds in parts of Khyber, including Bara and surrounding areas.
The viral video from Sahalobar has intensified criticism on social media, with users questioning how militants could appear so openly in a sensitive area associated with the province’s top leadership. Critics argue the incident highlights gaps in local security arrangements despite ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the former tribal districts.
Officials have not yet issued a detailed statement regarding the authenticity of the footage, but security sources say intelligence-based operations continue across Khyber and adjoining districts to prevent militant regrouping.
The episode comes at a time when security forces are already engaged in intensified counter-terrorism efforts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid rising militant activity along Pakistan’s western frontier.
Analysts warn that if militant networks succeed in projecting visibility in strategic areas like Bara, it could embolden extremist elements and further complicate the security landscape in the province.
