More than 1,500 incidents reported in 2025; 420 terrorists killed as police deploy advanced technology
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa experienced a significant increase in terrorism during 2025, with more than 500 attacks reported, representing a 50 percent increase compared to the previous year.
According to a detailed security assessment obtained by The Express PAkGazette, the province faced 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, reflecting a rapidly escalating militant threat in both settled and tribal regions. Despite the increase in attacks, security forces managed to prevent 320 major attacks, while 137 police officers and personnel gave their lives in the line of duty.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) report highlights that joint operations carried out by KP police, CTD and security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected terrorists, while 420 high-profile militants were neutralized in intelligence-based operations.
Districts such as Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Peshawar remained the most frequent targets, with a notable pattern of attacks planned and executed from across the Afghan border.
Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, in an interview with The Express PAkGazette, acknowledged the rise in attacks on police but noted that the number of police casualties had decreased compared to last year. He stressed that advanced technologies, including anti-drone systems and thermal imaging, allowed counter-terrorism teams to stay ahead of the militants’ changing tactics.
According to the IGP, weapons once used by NATO forces in Afghanistan are now in the possession of terrorists operating in the KP tribal belt and southern districts. However, he stressed, the police remained firmly on the front line, setting new benchmarks in counter-terrorism efforts.
In a significant development, the federal government approved a historic Rs 1 billion package for policing in the merged tribal districts. These funds will support the construction of police lines, new police stations and the acquisition of vehicles and bulletproof vests, marking the first substantial investment in the region’s security apparatus. IGP said this improved infrastructure will strengthen police capacity in areas adjacent to the Afghan border, where militant infiltration remains a persistent challenge. He added that militants attempted to set up illegal checkpoints on the roads of DI Khan and parts of Bannu earlier this year, but state authority has since been fully restored.
The CTD report also notes a 56 per cent increase in attacks on police personnel, rising from 327 in 2024 to 510 in 2025. Throughout the year, security agencies carried out 2,791 search and strike operations and uncovered 25 high-value foreign terrorist operatives linked to global militant networks. Meanwhile, extortion networks operating in Peshawar and other districts were systematically dismantled.
Dr Mian Saeed, police officer in the capital Peshawar, confirmed that the notorious Lali Group, wanted in nearly 30 criminal cases, had been eliminated in a recent police operation.
