PESHAWAR, Nov 14: Two militants were shot dead during an exchange of fire with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Mardan on Thursday night, officials said, in yet another operation reflecting the continuing surge in militant activity across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a statement issued by the CTD, the incident took place when a SWAT team was conducting a targeted operation in the Kanda Pul area. The team attempted to intercept two suspects riding a motorcycle, but the men allegedly opened fire, forcing officers to retaliate.
CTD personnel “narrowly escaped” the initial burst of gunfire, the statement added. Both assailants were killed on the spot.
Slain militants were implicated in murders of three people, including two security personnel, says CTD. https://t.co/UeTn8R1BxU
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 14, 2025
The deceased were identified as Noman — also known by the aliases Murad and Ghaznavi — and Sohail, referred to as Charsi. According to CTD officials, the two men were wanted in several cases, including the killings of Head Constable Amjad, Constable Iqrar Syed and a civilian named Ehtesham. They also faced charges of murder and attempted murder in other investigations.
Authorities recovered two pistols, ammunition, a motorcycle and a mobile phone from the scene.
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Cross-Border Militancy Concerns Grow
Security officials, speaking on background, said the incident reflects an “intensifying pattern” of attacks in KP that they believe is linked to militant networks operating from Afghan soil. Officials maintain that Pakistan has witnessed a steady rise in terrorism since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, with banned outfits allegedly using Afghan territories as safe havens.
A senior security official said that while Pakistan continues to engage Kabul diplomatically, “the lack of actionable cooperation” on dismantling sanctuaries across the border has complicated counterterrorism efforts. He added that recent intelligence assessments suggest multiple infiltration attempts and cross-border facilitation routes remain active.
However, Afghan authorities consistently deny that their territory is being used for attacks in Pakistan, insisting they do not allow militant groups to operate on Afghan soil.
Escalating Threat in KP
The CTD has conducted several operations across Mardan, Swabi, Peshawar and Bannu in recent weeks as part of a wider crackdown on militant cells responsible for targeted killings, extortion and attacks on police.
Officials say the resurgence of terrorism has strained the capacity of local law-enforcement agencies, making cross-border cooperation and internal intelligence coordination increasingly critical.
The CTD stated that operations would continue “until all militant threats are neutralised.”
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