Two terrorists killed in friendly fire: CTD

LAHORE: The counter-terrorism department (CTD) on Friday said two khawarij were killed by the firing of their accomplices during a raid at Dera Ghazi Khan-Quetta road. 

According to the CTD spokesperson, two other terrorists successfully managed to flee in the meantime. 

The spokesperson said the department had recovered a hand grenade and explosive material from the terrorist hideout. While, a search operation was underway to catch the other terrorists, he maintained.

Previously in August, a wanted terrorist of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned militant organisation, had been killed by his own accomplice, as per security sources.

The operation by the CTD comes in the wake of the government's efforts to curb terrorism in the country, approving Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism campaign following the Central Apex Committee's recommendations under the National Action Plan to root out terrorism.

As Pakistan teeters in its struggle to overcome several challenges including economic instability and political unrest, terrorism adds to the country's woes as the terror incidents witnessed a surge in August.

The nation has been reeling under rising violent attacks since the Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The two most vulnerable provinces saw a sharp rise in deadly attacks last month, according to data from the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).

The digital database of security incidents managed by the Islamabad-based think-tank suggested an alarming situation as the number of attacks jumped from 38 in July to 59 in August.

These incidents included 29 attacks in KP, 28 in Balochistan, and two in Punjab.