At least 10 terrorists and an army captain were killed on Thursday after an encounter broke out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district in Pakistan.
According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted following reports of the presence of terrorists in the area.
“Hasnain was a brave officer, renowned for his courage and bold, daring actions during previous operations,” Pakistan’s military media wing said in a statement.
ISPR claimed that the military also seized a large cache of ammunition from the killed terrorists, who were involved in numerous attacks against law enforcement agencies.
“A sanitization operation is being conducted in the area, and the security forces are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country. Such sacrifices by brave young officers further strengthen our resolve,” it said.
The nation has been enduring heightened terrorist assaults, particularly targeting law enforcement and security forces, since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan in 2021. This is especially true in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The country experienced an escalation in terror attacks in January 2025—a surge of 42 percent compared to December—according to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The statistics revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. An additional 117 individuals were injured, comprising 53 security force personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the most severely affected province, followed by Balochistan. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s settled districts, militants executed 27 attacks, leading to 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
The tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly FATA) endured 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.
