As many as three suspected militants were killed in an evening operation by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in Bannu, officials said on Thursday.
A spokesman for the provincial anti-terror police said the eliminated militants were affiliated with the described yellow Bahadur and Zarar groups.
They were identified as Mudassir, Turab and Mohammad Hussain, added the spokesman and said that all three who were from Bannu were in demand by police for terrorist acts.
After the successful RAID reclaimed CTD explosives, automatic weapons, including a Kalashnikov and a gun, as well as a motorcycle used by the suspects.
The CTD campaign came almost ten days after another three militants affiliated with the forbidden Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in an evening operation in Lakki Marwat.
CTD said that four hand grenades, several Kalashnikov rifles, dozens of ammunition rounds and two mobile phones were found in the wake of the operation performed in the Sarai Naurang area near the Bhutani channel.
The militants were in demand for several attacks on police and other law enforcement staff, the spokesman added.
Rising terrorist attacks
Pakistan saw a small uptick in militant attacks in May 2025, even when military tensions with nearby India could not trigger significant escalation in violence from extremist groups.
Data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) indicates a 5% increase compared to April, although the overall picture suggests militant groups, which remained largely contained despite the regional geopolitical climate.
According to PICSS -Monthly security assessment, May’s 85 militant attacks registered, a marginal increase from 81 in April.
These incidents resulted in 113 fatalities, including 52 security forces staff, 46 civilians, 11 militants and four members of the Peace Committee. The month also saw 182 people wounded, extensive 130 civilians, 47 security staff, four militants and a peace committee member.
While the total number of attacks only experienced a modest increase, a deeper dive in the numbers reveals some about trends.
Deaths among security staff increased by a significant 73%and emphasized the sustained threat facing Pakistan’s armed forces.
Civilian injuries also witnessed a dramatic increase of 145% and jumped from 53 in April to 130 in May, highlighting the growing effect of militant activities on the general population. Conversely, injuries among the security staff fell by 20%and fell from 59 to 47.
In operations initiated by security forces during the month, at least 59 militants were killed while five security staff lost their lives.
Combining militant attacks and security operations was the total accident tax for May at 172, including 57 security staff, 65 militants, 46 civilians and four peace committee members.
Balochistan and KP remained the most affected provinces and accounted for 82 of the 85 attacks nationwide.
Balochistan experienced the highest level of violence with 35 militant attacks leaving 51 people died – including 30 civilians, 18 security personnel and three militants – and 100 wounded (94 civilians, five security staff and a militant).
