A wanted militant affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was killed during an intelligence-based operation by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Dera Ismail Khan early on Saturday, the department said.
CTD identified the militant as Khalid, alias Commander, who was wanted in multiple cases, including the targeted killing of CTD Constable Muhammad Ali in March 2025.
According to a CTD statement, the department’s technical team received confirmed intelligence that Khalid was present in the Korai area within the limits of Shorkot police station. Acting on the information, the CTD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team carried out a targeted intelligence-based operation on the Tank-Dera Ismail Khan Road in the early hours of Saturday.
The statement said that CTD personnel surrounded the suspect and repeatedly called on him to surrender in an attempt to arrest him. Khalid instead opened fire on the team, prompting officers to return fire, during which he was killed.
CTD stated that Khalid was wanted in several terrorism-related cases and was accused of the targeted killing of Constable Muhammad Ali on March 17, 2025. It added that he had been concealing his identity, changing his appearance and moving between locations to evade law enforcement agencies.
Khalid was a member of the banned TTP’s Zakir Kochi Karwan group. A 9mm pistol, a hand grenade and a smartphone were recovered from his possession and taken into custody for forensic examination.
CTD confirmed that efforts were under way to identify and take legal action against the militant’s facilitators, financiers and logistical support network.
The operation took place as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to experience heightened militant violence. According to multiple reports, fatalities in the province rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, an increase of 711 deaths and nearly 44 per cent year on year.
