In a swift and precise operation, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Peshawar, supported by local police, neutralized three terrorists affiliated with the banned militant group Fitna al-Khawarij (FAKs) during an overnight raid in PDA Regi Lalma on Augus 14, 2025. The operation was carried out after the gang, which had been under constant surveillance through technical monitoring, was found preparing to execute a terrorist attack in the border region between District Khyber and Peshawar. Acting on this intelligence, a CTD SWAT team moved in to intercept the suspects.

As the militants attempted to flee, they opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces, prompting a rapid and accurate response. A heavy exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in the deaths of all three militants on the spot. Security forces have since cordoned off the area, and a search for any possible accomplices is ongoing to eliminate further threats.

One of the slain terrorists was identified as Abdullah alias Jawad, an Afghan national, with an Afghan citizenship card recovered from his possession. He was wanted in CTD Peshawar’s FIR No. 92/2025. The identities of the other two militants are still being confirmed.

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The operation also resulted in the seizure of a substantial cache of weapons and explosives, including an M4 rifle, an M16 rifle, an SMG, one improvised explosive device weighing approximately 2.5 kilograms, a hand grenade, four smartphones, 125 rounds of mixed-caliber ammunition, and six magazines.

Initial investigations revealed that this network was responsible for at least 18 terror incidents in the region. These included deadly attacks on police posts in Arandu and Pajjagi that claimed the lives of multiple officers, a fire raid on PP Shahab Khel in which DSP Sardar Hussain and two other officials were martyred, and assaults on other security points such as Shamshato, Speen Qabar in Bara, and Subhan Sher Khwar CP. The group also orchestrated a lethal ambush on a police mobile at Daag Lara that left three officers dead, alongside numerous IED blasts targeting law enforcement facilities and public infrastructure.

Authorities confirmed that the militants were part of a TTP-linked cell operating under foreign-based and foreign-funded handlers, with plans to escalate attacks on security forces, government infrastructure, and pro-state individuals in the coming weeks.

The successful CTD operation underscores the department’s continued resolve to dismantle militant networks and restore peace in the region. It also highlights the importance of intelligence-driven action and inter-agency coordination in neutralizing threats before they materialize into large-scale tragedies.