By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
KHYBER: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Peshawar in an intelligence-driven operation supported by local police killed three militants of the banned outfit Fitna-ul-Khawarij (FAK) during a raid in Regi Lalma locality that share border with district Khyber on Thursday night, police said.
According to CTD officials the suspects had been under continuous technical surveillance and were tracked while allegedly preparing for an attack in the district Khyber–Peshawar border area a CTD SWAT team intercepted them prompting an exchange of fire in which all three militants were killed on the spot.
The search for their accomplices was ongoing so far.
One of the dead was identified as Abdullah alias Jawad, an Afghan national, who was wanted in connection with FIR No 92/2025 The identities of the other two are yet to be confirmed, police said.
Weapons and explosives recovered from the scene included an M4 rifle, an M16 rifle, a submachine gun, a 2.5kg improvised explosive device and hand grenade, four smartphones,125 rounds of mixed ammunition and six magazines.
The CTD officials in statement said the group was involved in at least 18 terrorist incidents in Peshawar district including attacks on police posts and stations targeted killings of police officers and Frontier Corps personnel ambushes on police mobiles and an extortion-related shootings. Notable incidents including the killing of DSP Sardar Hussain and two officers in a raid on Shahabkhel an ambush on PP Daag Lara police mobile killing three officials and destroying the vehicle multiple assaults on PP Subhan Sher Khwar resulting in five police deaths and IED and firearm attacks on police establishments in Pajjagi, Shamshato, Speen Qabar in Bara tehsil in Khyber district.
Preliminary intelligence links the militants to a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP cell allegedly operated by foreign-based handlers with plans to escalate attacks on security forces public infrastructure and pro-state individuals.
CTD Peshawar said the operation demonstrated its unwavering commitment operational precision and effective inter-agency coordination in countering terrorism across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
