KPK: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed three militants — including an Afghan national — during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Khyber district late Friday night.
According to a CTD statement, the operation targeted a suspected hideout of Fazal Noor, a local commander of the banned Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and his associates in the Ali Masjid area. Upon arrival, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team came under heavy fire from the militants, prompting a gunbattle that lasted approximately 30 minutes.
Following the firefight, a search operation led to the discovery of three bodies identified as Muhammad Naeem and Muhammad Karim — residents of Karak — and Noor Nabi, a resident of Nangarhar, Afghanistan. All were confirmed ISKP members.
The CTD revealed that two of the slain militants had been involved in a previous suicide bombing in Peshawar that killed a sub-inspector and a constable.
Fazal Noor and another ISKP member, Hakim Nisar, managed to escape during the encounter. According to the CTD, both fugitives are believed to be operating under foreign-based handlers and were planning further terrorist attacks in Peshawar and Khyber.
“The group was under continuous technical surveillance,” the CTD stated. “Their movements were tracked, and their identities confirmed through digital footprints.”
The operation also led to the recovery of three submachine guns (SMGs), 135 rounds of ammunition, 12 magazines, and three tactical vests. The group has been linked through preliminary investigation to at least three recent militant attacks.
Authorities have launched a manhunt to locate the escaped militants, as intelligence suggests they were preparing for a major terrorist operation in the region.
