By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
BANNU: Police in Bannu have carried out what officials describe as sustained and effective operations against militants linked to Fitna al-Khawarij and other armed groups, amid a sharp rise in attacks on law enforcement and civilians in the district.
Speaking at a media briefing, the regional police officer (RPO) for Bannu, Sajjad Khan, said 134 militant attacks targeting police stations, posts, checkpoints, mobile vans and patrols had been recorded during the current year. Twenty-seven police personnel were killed and 79 injured in these attacks.
Khan said police responded “in a timely and courageous manner”, killing 53 militants and injuring 163 during retaliatory actions. According to the RPO, Bannu police conducted 168 intelligence-based operations across the district. During these raids, 105 suspected militants were arrested and 65 killed. In total, he said, 170 militants were “neutralized” through various operations.
Joint operations by police and security forces were carried out in Meryan, Huwed, Dawood Shah, Mamand Khel, Domel and Barganto. Khan said one police constable was killed during these actions, while 11 police personnel and five civilians were injured. He added that 22 militants were killed and four arrested, and that several militant hideouts were demolished.
The RPO also disclosed that militants carried out 20 drone attacks on police installations and civilian areas. These attacks injured 19 police personnel, killed nine civilians and wounded a further 33. However, he said the situation improved significantly after an anti-drone system was installed on 18 July 2025. Since then, more than 300 drone attacks have been thwarted, with four drones successfully intercepted or disabled.
Despite what he described as limited resources, Khan said extensive measures had been taken to secure police installations, including the installation of HESCO barriers, bunkers, double boundary walls, bulletproof gates and CCTV cameras. Work has also begun on a Safe City Project to further strengthen security for both police personnel and the wider public.
He said jirgas with local elders had been convened in several areas to build collective resistance against militants. These efforts, he added, led to the formation of community vigilance groups, known locally as chagha parties, which, with public cooperation, helped foil a number of planned attacks on police stations and checkpoints.
Khan said further operations against Fitna al-Khawarij were carried out in Kakki, Bharath, Khojri, Barganto, Sheikh Landak and surrounding areas. To modernise the force and meet evolving security threats, he added, Bannu police have been equipped with drones, anti-drone guns, sniper rifles, armoured personnel carriers, thermal imaging systems, tactical helmets and bulletproof vehicles.
Reaffirming his commitment, the RPO said Bannu police would continue efforts to maintain law and order, eliminate militancy and ensure the protection of lives and property across the district.
