TANK: Three terrorists were killed in the Tank CTD police operation, a joint action by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district on Friday, The Express Tribune reported.
The operation was carried out in the district after officials received information about the presence of militants in the area. This is a separate operation from the intelligence-based raid in North Waziristan earlier the same day, in which security forces killed seven terrorists.
Tank CTD police operation caps a week of stepped-up counterterrorism action
Friday’s Tank operation is the latest in a string of security actions across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan this week.
A day earlier, on Thursday, security forces killed nine militants in separate operations in North Waziristan’s Palangzai, Nadeem Kot and Kot Khazri areas. Four senior commanders, identified as Khalid Raza, Kamran, Musa and Maftoon, were among those killed, according to security sources. Several hideouts were destroyed and a substantial quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered.
On Wednesday, security sources reported that 18 militants had been killed in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Thirteen were killed in strikes on militant positions in North Waziristan and adjoining areas, while five others were killed in Mastung, Balochistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces after Thursday’s operations, describing them as evidence of the country’s resolve to eliminate terrorism. President Asif Ali Zardari also commended the forces and said operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework would continue until terrorism was completely eliminated.
Militancy at a 12-year high
The operations come as Pakistan faces its sharpest rise in militant violence in more than a decade. Data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank that tracks militant violence, showed that 225 attacks were recorded across the country in September 2026, up from 199 in August. That was the highest monthly count in 12 years and the third month in a row in which attacks increased.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have borne the brunt of the violence since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to stop militant groups from using Afghan soil to plan attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities use the term “Fitna al-Khawarij” for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Security forces say clearance operations continue in affected areas to find and eliminate any remaining militants.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in Tank on October 9?
Three terrorists were killed in a joint Counter-Terrorism Department and police operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, according to The Express Tribune.
Is this the same as the North Waziristan operation?
No. The Tank operation was a joint CTD-police action in a different district. A separate intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan on the same day killed seven terrorists.
What is Azm-e-Istehkam?
Azm-e-Istehkam is the federal government’s counterterrorism campaign under which the security forces have been conducting intelligence-based operations against militant networks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
How serious is the current wave of militancy?
September 2026 saw 225 militant attacks nationwide, the highest monthly number in 12 years, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Attacks rose for the third consecutive month.
