Pakistan: Three terrorists killed, police constable dies in Bannu attack

BANNU: A terrorist attack on the Fathakhel police check post in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was successfully repelled by police forces, resulting in the death of three militants, ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to ARY News, terrorists launched a sudden assault on the check post, triggering an exchange of fire with security personnel. During the encounter, three terrorists were killed, while one police constable, identified as Niaz, was also killed. Three other personnel, including officers Saudad and Mufti Mehmood, sustained injuries in the attack.

The militants reportedly used heavy weaponry during the operation. Following the clash, security forces secured the area and took control of the bodies of the slain attackers, ARY News reported.

In response to the assault, a large-scale search operation was launched under the supervision of the Regional Police Officer (RPO) and the District Police Officer (DPO). As per ARY News, the search effort in the surrounding area remains ongoing.

Local residents were seen chanting patriotic slogans such as “Pakistan Zindabad” alongside law enforcement officers, hailing the swift and effective response by the police.

ARY News also recalled a similar incident on April 22, when KP Police foiled a terrorist attack on the Dharey Pul police post in Bannu. According to the Central Police Office (CPO), 18 to 19 terrorists, some on motorcycles and others crawling toward the post, attempted a coordinated strike that was ultimately thwarted by alert personnel.

The recent spate of attacks, including the latest assault on the Fathakhel check post, has amplified public concern over security, as reflected in a local assembly in Pakistan’s Bajaur district. According to Khaama Press, the assembly urged Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters to leave the area and return to Afghanistan, highlighting rising frustration over persistent violence and instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Residents of Pakistan’s Bajaur district have convened a jirga calling on Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters to leave the area and return to Afghanistan, a move that underscores growing public frustration over violence and insecurity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as per Khaama Press.

The peace gathering, reported by Dawn newspaper, took place on Friday, August 1. Community elders and leaders urged the militants to consult with their commanders in Afghanistan before providing a response to the jirga’s demand.

According to reports, several TTP members were present during the jirga, highlighting an unusual but direct dialogue between locals and the fighters who have long disrupted daily life in the region.

The jirga followed new movement restrictions imposed by Pakistani security forces in Bajaur, part of efforts to contain escalating clashes and restore order in areas affected by militancy.

Local residents used the meeting to publicly voice their support for the security forces and to call for the withdrawal of militants, insisting that peace and stability must take priority, as per Khaama Press.

Community elders, political representatives, party officials, and activists from the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) were also in attendance, adding weight and legitimacy to the jirga’s message.

This was not the first such initiative. A similar jirga held earlier in Tirah made the same plea for TTP fighters to leave, showing a widening grassroots movement across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa demanding an end to the group’s presence.

Despite Pakistan’s claims that TTP leadership operates from across the border, the Taliban continues to deny hosting the group’s leaders or fighters, as per Khaama Press.

The repeated calls from local jirgas signal a crucial shift; communities battered by militancy are no longer waiting for state action alone — they are pressing militants directly, seeking to reclaim safety, stability, and control over their own future. (ANI)