Bajaur attack: 12 terrorists killed, 11 security personnel martyred

RAWALPINDI: At least 12 terrorists belonging to an India-backed proxy were killed while 11 security personnel embraced martyrdom during a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

According to the military’s media wing, terrorists attempted a cowardly assault on a joint checkpost of the security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs). The attackers tried to breach the post’s security, but their plan was swiftly foiled by the vigilant and decisive response of Pakistani forces.

The ISPR said the assailants later rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall, causing severe destruction. The blast damaged a nearby civilian residential building, resulting in the martyrdom of a young girl and injuries to seven others, including women and children.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan, have been particularly affected.

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ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated in a January 6 press briefing that law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025.

He said 14,658 operations were conducted in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 were carried out in other parts of Pakistan.

The DG ISPR added that 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide last year, including 3,811 in KP and 1,557 in Balochistan, while 29 incidents occurred elsewhere.

He further noted that 2,597 terrorists were killed in counterterrorism operations during 2025, with civilians and soft targets deliberately attacked in major incidents, often involving Afghan militants.