Eight Militants Killed as KP Darra Adamkhel Operation Continues
Security forces killed eight militants on Saturday during the second day of an ongoing operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Darra Adamkhel area, according to security sources. The development raised the total number of militants killed in the operation to 13, after five were reportedly eliminated when the action began on Friday.
The operation was launched after intelligence reports indicated the presence of a militant group in the area. Security personnel moved into the locality, cordoned off key routes and continued clearing activity as the offensive entered its second day.
According to the reported details, the dead included members linked to the banned Tariq Gidar group, an affiliate of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Security sources said two Afghan nationals were also among those killed, while efforts were continuing to confirm the identities of the remaining militants.
Officials identified some of the dead militants as Daud from Zorh Kalay, along with Hamza, Qari Zeenatullah and Qari Lawangin. The sources said Zeenatullah and Lawangin were Afghan nationals and added that the operation would continue until the area was fully cleared of militant presence.
The Tariq Gidar group has long been associated with militant activity in and around Darra Adamkhel. The group is named after Tariq Afridi, a militant commander from the area who was killed in 2012, reportedly by relatives in Khyber.
Darra Adamkhel holds strategic importance because it lies near Kohat and Peshawar districts and sits south of the provincial capital. The area has witnessed militant violence, attacks on security forces and repeated military operations over the years, making it a sensitive zone in KP’s wider security landscape.
The latest action comes amid a broader rise in militant activity in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to act against militant sanctuaries, especially those linked to the banned TTP, but Pakistani officials have continued to express frustration over cross-border security concerns.
Recent counterterrorism actions in KP have also included operations in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan. Security forces earlier this month killed several militants in separate engagements, reflecting an intensified campaign against groups operating in the province and along border-linked corridors.
For Pakistan, the Darra Adamkhel operation carries both security and political significance. Continued militant activity in KP affects civilian safety, local mobility, policing capacity and investor confidence, while also shaping Islamabad’s diplomatic messaging toward Kabul over responsibility for preventing cross-border militancy.
The immediate focus now remains on the completion of the ongoing clearance operation and verification of the militants’ identities. Authorities are expected to keep the area under watch as security forces assess whether additional fighters, weapons or support networks remain active in the region.