A peace committee member lost his life during an exchange with militants in the Begukhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, police said on Sunday.

The incident reflects the escalating militant presence in Lakki Marwat, where attacks have become more frequent in recent months despite ongoing efforts by local peace committees to maintain order and resist terrorist influence.

According to a police statement, “Around 50 militants attacked the Begukhel village with small and heavy weapons on Saturday night in an apparent revenge act.”

The peace committee and local people responded vigorously, according to the statement.

“During the two-hour-long encounter, a volunteer of the peace committee was killed,” it said.

A search operation is underway in the area by the police and security forces, the statement added.

On Thursday, the police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos launched a joint operation against terrorists in rural areas of the district.

Last month, local elders announced that they would fight anti-peace elements side by side with police to effectively eradicate the menace of terrorism from the district.

On April 28, the killing of an elderly man and the injuring of his two relatives and a neighbour by terrorists sparked a fierce gun battle between the assailants and members of a local peace committee.

Lakki Marwat has long been a hotspot for terrorism and violence, with unrest dating back to the early 2000s. While security operations brought a period of relative calm, militant activity has resurged in recent years, straining local peace efforts and heightening fears of renewed instability.