Three suspected militants were gunned down in a late-night raid by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Bannu. The operation, carried out by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, was confirmed on Thursday.
The CTD spokesperson revealed that the militants were linked to the banned Gul Bahadur and Zarar groups. All three were residents of Bannu. They were identified as Mudassir, Turab, and Mohammad Hussain. Each of them had been wanted in connection with past acts of terrorism.
The operation led to the recovery of explosive materials, a Kalashnikov, a pistol, and a motorcycle used by the terrorists.
This action took place roughly ten days after a similar raid in Lakki Marwat. In that incident, CTD teams neutralized three more militants associated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
That late-night encounter occurred in the Sarai Naurang area near Bhutani Canal. The recovered items included four hand grenades, multiple rifles, dozens of bullets, and two mobile phones.
The slain men in both cases had targeted law enforcement in earlier attacks. Their removal was seen as a vital blow to ongoing militant attacks in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to witness a worrying rise in extremist activity. In May 2025, such threats grew by 5% compared to April, according to new data.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) released its monthly assessment. It recorded 85 militant attacks in Pakistan during May, up from 81 in April.
The casualties were heavy. These assaults claimed 113 lives, including 52 from the armed forces, 46 civilians, 11 militants, and four members of peace committees.
Injuries stood at 182, with 130 civilians, 47 security personnel, four militants, and one peace committee member wounded.
While the increase in attacks was minor, the damage was not. Deaths among security forces rose by 73%, a clear sign of the escalating risk.
Civilian injuries spiked by 145%, climbing from 53 in April to 130 in May. However, injuries among security forces dropped by 20%.
Throughout the month, security forces killed at least 59 militants during operations. Five personnel from law enforcement also embraced martyrdom.
When combined, total casualties for May reached 172. This figure includes 57 security officials, 65 terrorists, 46 civilians, and four peace committee members.
Balochistan and KP remained the epicenters of militant attacks in Pakistan. The two provinces accounted for 82 of the 85 reported incidents.
Balochistan alone faced 35 such attacks. These left 51 people dead — 30 were civilians, 18 were from the military, and three were militants.
The violence also injured 100 others in the province, with 94 civilians and five security personnel among them.
