PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT: Thirteen terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Daraban area of the Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Wednesday.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the ‘khwarij’, the term used by the state to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
It said they had remained “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities”, including the Daraban suicide bombing in December 2023, and the abduction and target killing of government officials and innocent civilians.
The ISPR further said a sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.
Officials told Dawn that the operation was jointly conducted by the army and the counter-terrorism department of police in Garah Madah area within the jurisdiction of the Daraban police station. They said after an intense exchange of fire, the law enforcers recovered 13 bodies, besides 11 SMGs, 30 magazines, a wireless set, and five hand grenades.
“The dead bodies have been taken into custody by CTD and shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Dera Ismail Khan for post-mortem and further legal proceedings,” the officials said, adding the CTD was also in the process of identifying the suspects via Nadra.
On Sept 19, CTD had gunned down three alleged militants, including an Afghan national, during an intelligence-based operation in the Khyber tribal district.
Separately, militant hideouts in Sherikhel and Karmukhel areas of Lakki Marwat district were destroyed in the early hours of Wednesday. Locals reported hearing explosions from the mountains.
A police official confirmed that militant hideouts were targeted in the remote localities of the district. “We have no information about any casualties at the moment,” he maintained. Sources claimed that two houses being used by militants were completely destroyed in the strikes.
‘Grand jirga’
Separately, tribal elders announced a grand jirga at the Sports Complex in Bannu on Sep 30 to chalk out a joint strategy against militancy, target killings, kidnapping for ransom, and killing of innocent citizens in mortar attacks.
The announcement was made after a meeting of tribal chiefs at Bakkakhel Mandi in Bannu. Former provincial minister Malik Shah Muhammad Khan, Malik Nasrullah Khan, Malik Sher Wali Khan, Haji Gul Baz Khan, Mureed Hayat Advocate, Mufti Arifullah, and others were in attendance.
The elders said efforts by one tribe or clan were not enough to deal with the prevailing situation, adding that all tribes should unite to formulate a joint strategy for lasting peace.
They expressed concern over the destruction of the ‘hujra’ (common guest house) owned by the former minister, saying the government should control target killing and kidnapping for ransom incidents. “Until and unless we are united, we cannot achieve the goal of bringing lasting peace to our region for future generations,” an elder remarked.
Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2025