• Constable martyred in Lakki Marwat gun battle
• Hand grenade hurled at school in Mohmand; no one hurt

BANNU / LAKKI MARWAT: Four terrorists were killed and a police constable embraced martyrdom in separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts, police and the military’s media wing said on Monday.

A terrorist and his accomplice, an alleged suicide bomber, were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Bannu district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. It added that the IBO was conducted on Sunday on the reported presence of “khawarij”.

Fitna al Khawarij is the term used by the state to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

During the operation, after an intense exchange of fire, two terrorists belonging to the “Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij”, including ringleader Waheedullah alias Muktiar, and a suicide bomber, were killed, ISPR said.

It added that a suicide jacket, weapons, and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists.

The ISPR said Waheedullah was among the most-wanted terrorists for his active involvement in numerous terrorist activities, including the martyrdom of security forces personnel and innocent civilians.

It added that Waheedullah was also the “main handler” of a suicide bomber who was involved in the martyrdom of Lt Col Gul Faraz in Bannu on Feb 21.

“The operation has indeed avenged the heinous act and has brought the main perpetrator to justice. Timely action by security forces also averted a major catastrophe,” the ISPR asserted.

It said a sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any other “Indian-sponsored Khariji” found in the area.

Lakki gun battle

Separately, Lakki Marwat district police spokesman Qudratullah Khan said a gunfight erupted when police conducted a targeted operation in a forest near the Khundan area in the wee hours of Monday. He said a large police contingent was dispatched to the area after local police authorities received credible intelligence reports that terrorists were hiding in the forest.

“The exchange of fire continued for some time, resulting in the killing of two terrorists,” he said, adding that a police constable, Attiqur Rehman, also lost his life in the exchange of fire.

The official said several terrorists were injured in the clash but escaped with the help of their accomplices, taking advantage of darkness and the dense forest.

He identified one of the slain terrorists as commander Amir Sohail alias Umar Khitab and said he was wanted by CTD police in target killings, attacks on police and security forces, bomb blasts and other terrorism-related incidents.

“A large-scale search operation by a heavy contingent of police and CTD commandos, backed by APCs, is underway in the area to arrest fleeing terrorists,” he added.

The funeral of the martyred constable was held with full official honours at the Police Lines, Lakki Marwat. A large number of people, including senior police and administration officials, attended the funeral prayer.

Meanwhile, unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade at a school in Mohmand district’s Kamali area, triggering panic but causing no loss of life or property.

The incident occurred at Ghazi Baig Mohmand Model School in Haleemzai Tehsil’s Kamali area during the night.

According to police, the grenade landed inside the school’s premises and exploded, but fortunately no one was harmed. The blast spread fear among local residents, many of whom rushed out of their homes after hearing the explosion.

Law enforcement personnel reached the scene shortly after the incident, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation to trace the attackers.

Mohmand police officials said efforts were underway to apprehend those responsible, adding that an investigation has been initiated from multiple angles.

Fauzee Khan in Mohmand also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026