ISPR says slain terrorist was ‘Waheedullah’, responsible for martyrdom of Lt Col Gul Faraz
DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
A police constable was martyred and four terrorists, including two much-wanted commanders, were killed in two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed on Monday.
In an operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement: “After intense exchange of fire, two khwarij belonging to the Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij, including Kharji Ring leader Waheedullah alias Muktiar, along with a suicide bomber were sent to hell.” A suicide jacket, arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain terrorists.
The state uses the term Fitna al Khawarij for the terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The ISPR said terror ring leader Waheedullah was “among the most wanted terrorists” due to his involvement in several terrorist activities, including attacks that led to “shahadat of security forces personnel and innocent civilians”.
According to the statement, he was also the mastermind of a suicide bomber in Bannu district on February 21, 2026, an attack in which Lt. Col. Gul Faraz was martyred.
On 22 February 2026, during an intelligence-based operation against terrorists, including a suicide bomber, a security force convoy was “targeted by the Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij”. The ISPR said the vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted and the terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a security force vehicle. As a result, Lt Col Shahzada Gul Faraz (43) of Mansehra, who was leading from the front, and Sepoy Karamat Shah (28) of Peshawar embraced martyrdom.
The ISPR said the operation had indeed “avenged the heinous act and brought the main perpetrator to justice”, adding that “the timely action of the security forces also averted a major disaster”.
The ISPR said a decontamination operation is being carried out in the area to eliminate any remaining terrorists. It added that Pakistan’s “relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam'”, endorsed by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue at full speed.
Lakki Marwat
In a separate operation by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), two terrorists, including a much-wanted commander, were killed and a police constable was martyred in the Akhundan forest civil camp area near the Bannu border, a CTD spokesman said on Monday.
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The spokesman said in a statement that the Lakki police conducted a successful intelligence-based targeted operation in the border area adjacent to Bannu district where there was a heavy exchange of fire with terrorists linked to “Fitna al-Khawarij”.
According to the statement, two militants were killed and several others were injured. Taking advantage of the darkness and forest terrain, the terrorists managed to escape with their wounded companions.
During the operation, Police Constable Atiqur Rehman (FRP) embraced martyrdom “while displaying unparalleled courage and sacrifice for the country,” the statement said.
Among those killed was a much-wanted commander, Amir Sohail alias Aqabi, also known as Omar Khattab, son of Muhammad Zaman alias Guloon, a resident of Kotka Shah Muhammad, Lakki Marwat. He was wanted by the CTD in several cases including targeted killings, attacks on police and security forces, bomb blasts and other serious offences.
The spokesman said a large-scale search operation involving police, CTD and armored vehicles is underway in the area. He added that the Lakki Marwat Police is playing a frontline role in the fight against terrorism and remains committed to eliminate militancy while using all available resources to maintain peace and order in the district.
KP has been fighting terrorism since the US’s ouster from Afghanistan, with terrorists often crossing the border to target police convoys and vehicles, resulting in the deaths of several officials and personnel.
On Sunday, two Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred after unidentified motorcycle-riding terrorists opened fire on them in Bannu. According to police sources, the FC personnel were shopping in a local market when the attackers suddenly opened fire on them. The assailants fled the scene after the shooting.
The province has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks, accounting for the highest number of incidents in the country. Out of a total of 5,397 incidents reported last year, KP recorded 3,811, followed by Balochistan with 1,557 incidents. Only 29 incidents were reported from the rest of the country. A total of 2,597 terrorists were killed during the year.
