Five terrorists were eliminated during a counterterrorism operation in the Matta area of Swat on Wednesday, as police and security forces intensified efforts against terrorist networks operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a meeting with a group of senior journalists in Peshawar, Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed said the successful counterterrorism operation in Swat resulted in the elimination of five terrorists. He added that one police officer embraced martyrdom during the operation while fighting the terrorists.
The IGP said most terrorists active in Swat and several other parts of the province are local operatives, but they are frequently accompanied by Afghan terrorists. He noted that law enforcement agencies had prior intelligence regarding the movement of terrorists from Afghanistan into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and were maintaining heightened vigilance against cross-border infiltration.
Referring to the recent suicide attack in Tank, the IGP said investigators estimate that between 1,200 and 1,400 kilograms of explosives were used in the bombing, making it one of the most powerful terrorist attacks witnessed in the province in recent years.
He further stated that all four terrorists involved in the Tank suicide attack were Afghan nationals. According to the investigation conducted so far, none of the attackers has been identified as Pakistani.
Drawing a comparison between the recent attack on a school in Dera Ismail Khan and the Tank suicide bombing, the IGP said both attacks displayed striking similarities in their modus operandi, indicating a coordinated operational pattern by the terrorist network behind them.
The IGP also warned that terrorist groups operating in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to exploit sophisticated weapons and technology abandoned in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of NATO forces. He said the availability of such equipment has enhanced the operational capabilities of terrorist organizations, presenting new security challenges for law enforcement agencies.
The remarks come as police and security forces continue intelligence-based and targeted operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, prevent cross-border infiltration, and disrupt planned attacks targeting civilians and state institutions. Authorities have reiterated their resolve to sustain coordinated counterterrorism efforts to restore lasting peace across the province.
