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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces are continuing a clearance operation at Cadet College Wana, where three India-backed terrorists remain trapped inside a building, security sources said on Wednesday.&nbsp;According to the sources, around 650 people, including 525 cadets, were present at the college when the attack took place. So far, 115 individuals have been safely rescued, while nearly 535 remain inside the premises. Security forces are conducting the operation with utmost caution to ensure the cadets&rsquo; safety.&nbsp;The three attackers, reportedly of Afghan origin, have been confined to an administrative block and are receiving instructions over the phone from handlers across the border, the sources added. The area has been completely cordoned off, and the evacuation of cadets is progressing gradually.&nbsp;On November 10, the terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the college&rsquo;s main gate, destroying it completely and damaging nearby buildings. Security troops responded swiftly, killing two attackers on the spot, while the remaining three were cornered inside the compound.&nbsp;Security officials said the attack was orchestrated by India-sponsored proxies aiming to spread fear by targeting educational institutions and innocent children. They added that the incident disproves claims made by Afghan Taliban authorities that such militants are not operating from Afghan territory.&nbsp;The terrorists are believed to be linked with an Indian proxy outfit, &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; or &ldquo;Fitna al-Hindustan,&rdquo; and reportedly tried to replicate the 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar. A message circulating on social media, allegedly from Jaish al-Hind leader Irshadullah Irshad, warned parents not to enroll their children in the college, claiming it trained people against their group.&nbsp;&ldquo;The aim of the attack was to instill fear among parents and students pursuing education in the tribal districts,&rdquo; the sources said, stressing that such cowardly acts will not weaken Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve to fight terrorism.&nbsp;Cadet College Wana, established at the request of local tribes, provides modern education to children of the Mehsud and Wazir tribes and has produced graduates serving across the country.&nbsp;&ldquo;The operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated,&rdquo; the sources asserted, adding, &ldquo;Pakistan reserves the right to respond to the terrorist leadership and their networks operating from Afghan soil.&rdquo; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saluted the soldier who stood against the suicide bombers, saving the lives of schoolchildren, in a post on his social media X.&nbsp;

Security

The incident contradicts claims by Afghan Taliban authorities that such terrorists are not operating from Afghan soil.

115 rescued as security forces continue clearance at Cadet College Wana

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday praised Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces after they successfully foiled a militant attack targeting Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO). The PM condemned the attack and lauded the swift action of security personnel, who eliminated two militants during the response. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attackers had rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate of the college, causing it to collapse and damaging nearby structures. After the blast, three militants entered the college premises but were cornered inside the administrative block, the ISPR said. &quot;The cowardly enemy once again attempted to target an educational institution, but their plan was successfully foiled,&quot; the PMO stated. The ISPR noted that the militants involved were in communication with handlers based in Afghanistan. &quot;Khwarij hiding inside the college premises are in contact with their masters and handlers in Afghanistan and are receiving instructions,&quot; the ISPR said, adding that the act was &quot;orchestrated by Khwarij from Afghanistan.&quot; Pakistan identifies Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as khwarij, invoking a historical label for a radical sect in early Islam that violently opposed established leadership, accused fellow Muslims of disbelief, and justified rebellion through extremist interpretation.&nbsp; The statement further said the incident contradicts claims by the Afghan Taliban authorities that such militants are not operating from Afghan soil. &quot;Pakistan reserves the right to respond against terrorists and their leadership present in Afghanistan,&quot; the ISPR warned. The militants, the statement continued, were linked to what it described as an &quot;Indian proxy group, Fitna al-Khwarij,&quot; and had attempted to emulate the 2014 Army Public School attack in Peshawar. The objective of the attack, the ISPR noted, was to instill fear among students from the region who are pursuing education to build better futures. Security forces are currently conducting a clearance operation in the area. The PMO reaffirmed that Pakistan&rsquo;s counter-terrorism campaign under the &ldquo;Azm-e-Istehkam&rdquo; framework will continue, as endorsed by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan. &quot;This campaign will continue at full pace to eliminate the menace of foreign-sponsored terrorism,&quot; the statement said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Cadet College Wana attack, praised security forces for killing two militants, and reaffirmed the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign against foreign-supported terrorism

PM Sharif hails Pakistani forces after foiled attack on cadet college

ISLAMABAD: Successful kinetic operations by Pakistan security forces made October the deadliest month for militants &nbsp;with over 350 militants killed, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).&nbsp;According to a recent report by the Islamabad-based security think tank PICSS, the month of October remained the lethal for militants across the country, with intensified operations by the security forces.&nbsp;Estimates show that 355 militants were killed across the country, marking the highest losses in a decade from the militants.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the month, 69 attacks were recorded, a 52 percent decline compared to August, according to the report.&nbsp;Amid clearance operations, 92 security personnel and 48 civilians also lost their lives.&nbsp;The security forces also apprehended 22 suspected militants, the report stated.&nbsp;The report database recorded a 29 percent rise in militant attacks&mdash;from 69 in September to 89 in October&mdash;though overall human losses in these attacks declined by 19 percent.&nbsp;In the southwestern province of Balochistan, 23 militant attacks were recorded, while casualties dropped sharply from 79 to 27, the report added.&nbsp;During counter-terrorism operations, 67 militants were killed, marking notable improvement in the province&rsquo;s security situation. This represented a 92 percent decline in civilian deaths and a 52 percent drop in security personnel fatalities, the report added.&nbsp;In the former tribal districts, now merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the 25th Amendment of the constitution, and mainland KP, 55 militants were killed in kinetic operations led by the security forces.&nbsp;Collectively, between January and October 2025, a total of 1,734 militants were killed by the security forces, while 601 security personnel were martyred, the report concluded.&nbsp;

October was the deadliest month with 355 militants killed nationwide. Security forces saw fewer attacks and casualties, with significant improvements in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's security situation

Pakistan records highest militant killings in October amid intensified security operations

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday paid tribute to the six security personnel, including a young army officer, who were martyred during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan&rsquo;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.&nbsp;The leaders expressed deep condolences to the families of the martyrs and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve to eliminate terrorism, according to official statements.&nbsp;A powerful blast struck a security forces vehicle during the operation earlier in the day, resulting in the martyrdom of Captain Noman Saleem and five soldiers, while several others sustained injuries.&nbsp;In a statement issued by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, PM Sharif said the nation &ldquo;salutes the security forces and the martyrs,&rdquo; adding that the soldiers had laid down their lives while defending the motherland.&nbsp;He prayed for the departed and said Pakistan would continue its fight &ldquo;until the last terrorist is eliminated.&rdquo;&nbsp;President Zardari, in a message posted on X, paid tribute to Captain Saleem and the troops who, he said, embraced martyrdom while confronting what Islamabad describes as &ldquo;India-backed Fitna al-Khwarij.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan uses the term &ldquo;Khawarij&rdquo; to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), invoking a label historically associated with an extremist sect that rejected legitimate authority.&nbsp;The president praised personnel&rsquo;s courage and stated that Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces &ldquo;remain firm in their resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on October 29 in the Dogar area of Kurram district on the basis of intelligence reports about the presence of militants described as &ldquo;Khwarij belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij.&rdquo;&nbsp;The military said seven militants were killed during the engagement.&nbsp;However, the exchange of heavy fire resulted in the martyrdom of Captain Noman Saleem, a 24-year-old medical officer from Mianwali, along with Havildar Amjad Ali of Swabi, Naik Waqas Ahmad of Rawalpindi, Sepoy Aijaz Ali of Shikarpur, Sepoy Muhammad Waleed of Jhelum, and Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz of Khairpur.&nbsp;ISPR stated that sanitization operations are continuing in the area to ensure the elimination of any remaining militants. It said the counterterrorism campaign under the national initiative &ldquo;Azm-e-Istehkam,&rdquo; as approved by the Federal Apex Committee, will continue &ldquo;at full pace&rdquo; to wipe out foreign-backed terrorism.&nbsp;Both the prime minister and president emphasized that the sacrifices of the armed forces will not go in vain. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s fight against terrorism is unwavering,&rdquo; the prime minister said, promising full support to the families of the martyrs.

According to the military’s media wing, six soldiers, including Captain Noman Saleem, were martyred during an intelligence-based operation in Kurram district, where security forces killed seven militants linked to the India-backed Fitna al-Khwarij group.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan security forces"

115 rescued as security forces continue clearance at Cadet College Wana

PM Sharif hails Pakistani forces after foiled attack on cadet college

Pakistan records highest militant killings in October amid intensified security operations

President, PM honor six soldiers martyred in Kurram operation in Pakistan’s northwest