Metro53 - RAWALPINDI (Web Desk) Security forces killed two militants, including a key ring leader, during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the military’s media wing said on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on April 19 after reports of the presence of militants in the area.
“During the conduct of the operation, after an intense exchange of fire, two khwarij were neutralised,” the statement said, adding that the slain militants included ring leader Waheedullah alias Muktiar and a suicide bomber.
Security forces also recovered a suicide jacket, weapons and ammunition from the killed militants.
The ISPR described Waheedullah as a “high-value target” who was on the most-wanted list due to his involvement in multiple attacks, including those targeting security personnel and civilians. He was also identified as the main handler behind a suicide attack in Bannu on February 21, 2026, which resulted in the killing of Lt Col Gul Faraz.
The military said the operation had “avenged the heinous act” and that timely action by security forces had averted a potential major attack.
A sanitisation operation was underway in the area to eliminate any remaining militants, the statement added.
The ISPR reiterated that security forces, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, would continue counterterrorism operations under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” framework to eliminate militancy from the country
