PESHAWAR (MNN); At least eight militants, including two Afghan nationals associated with the banned Tariq Gidar group — a faction linked to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan — were killed on Saturday during the second day of a security operation in the Darra Adamkhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to security sources.
With the latest casualties, the total number of militants killed in the operation has risen to 13. Five militants were killed on Friday when the operation was launched after intelligence reports indicated the presence of armed militants in the area.
Security sources said the operation was initiated after credible reports about a group of militants operating in Darra Adamkhel. Forces moved into the area, surrounded suspected hideouts, and launched a targeted offensive that remains ongoing.
Among those killed were identified as Daud of Zorh Kalay, Hamza, Qari Zeenatullah and Qari Lawangin. Sources said Zeenatullah and Lawangin were Afghan nationals, while the identities of several other militants are still being verified.
Officials said the entire area has been cordoned off, with troops continuing search-and-clearance operations to eliminate any remaining militants and secure the surrounding terrain.
“The operation will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised,” security officials said, adding that forces are conducting house-to-house searches and combing nearby mountainous areas.
The Tariq Gidar group, named after former militant commander Tariq Afridi, has long been active in Darra Adamkhel and surrounding regions. The group has been linked to attacks on security personnel, convoys and state installations in the past. Tariq Afridi was killed in 2012, reportedly by relatives in Khyber district, but the network has remained active under different commanders.
Darra Adamkhel, located south of Peshawar and bordering Kohat, has remained a sensitive security zone for years due to militant activity and repeated attacks targeting security forces.
The latest operation comes amid a broader resurgence of militancy in Pakistan following the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban administration to take action against militant sanctuaries allegedly operating from Afghan territory, particularly those linked to the TTP. Pakistani officials say cross-border attacks and infiltration attempts have continued despite repeated diplomatic engagements.
Earlier this month, security forces killed five militants in separate engagements in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, while in early April eight militants were killed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in North Waziristan.
Security operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have intensified in recent months as authorities continue efforts to curb militant violence and improve security across the province.
