LAKKI MARWAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — At least six terrorists were killed after opening fire on a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) team during an intelligence-based operation in the Shagayi area of Lakki Marwat, authorities said. The encounter lasted approximately 40 minutes, according to the CTD, who added that identification of the deceased is currently underway.
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Police recovered four Kalashnikovs, two pistols, eight hand grenades, and an improvised explosive device (IED) from the terrorists. The Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Zulfiqar Hameed, and the Additional Inspector General of CTD praised the officers for their swift response.
سی ٹی ڈی کا لکی مروت میں انٹیلی جنس بیسڈ آپریشن ، 6 دہشت گرد ہلاکhttps://t.co/xneklicDT7 pic.twitter.com/HqEK79Y5T3
— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) March 14, 2026
“We will pursue the terrorists to their hideouts and bring them to justice,” IGP Hameed said. “The blood of the martyrs will not go in vain; we will defeat the enemies of peace,” he added.
The operation is part of Pakistan’s broader counter-terrorism campaign, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched after a rise in cross-border militant activity following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The campaign has targeted Taliban fighters, Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK), and Daesh-Khorasan affiliates along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reported that over 650 Afghan Taliban fighters have been killed, more than 855 injured, 243 militant checkposts destroyed, and 219 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces eliminated. Recent airstrikes in Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces of Afghanistan killed over 80 militants.
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The region remains tense, as Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed to reach an agreement on controlling terrorist sanctuaries. Border clashes in October 2025 led to the deaths of over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred defending border posts. Despite repeated talks, militant activity persists due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act against cross-border terrorist groups.
The Lakki Marwat operation underscores Pakistan’s ongoing commitment to countering terrorism and securing its border provinces against militant infiltration.