Lakki Marwat: Police killed two suspected militants, including an alleged suicide bomber, in a firefight near Gandi Chowk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Wednesday. A third suspect was reportedly injured and escaped, prompting a search of the surrounding area.
According to the police spokesperson, authorities launched the operation after receiving information about a suspicious vehicle with tinted windows in Gandi Chowk, in Sarai Naurang tehsil.
Police sent a team to investigate the vehicle. Officials said the occupants tried to flee when they saw the officers approaching, then opened fire on the team.
Police returned fire, killing two suspects, including a man identified by authorities as a suicide bomber. Another suspect reportedly sustained injuries but managed to escape.
Police investigate suspected attack plot
The Central Police Office (CPO) said that preliminary information indicated the suspects were allegedly linked to Fitna al Khawarij, a term used by Pakistani authorities to describe militants associated with the banned Tehreek i Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Authorities claimed the group was preparing to carry out a major terrorist attack, which was prevented by police intervention. However, authorities did not disclose the intended target or location of the alleged attack.
Police said that weapons, ammunition, flags linked to a banned organisation, women's burqas and other prohibited materials were recovered from the scene.
Investigators are examining the recovered items to establish the suspects' identities, affiliations and possible objectives. Authorities did not identify the identities of those killed or provide further details about the suspected suicide bomber.
KP police chief praises operation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed commended the personnel involved, praising their prompt response and the way they handled the operation.
He described police personnel protecting public lives and property as heroes deserving national recognition.
The incident occurred amid ongoing security concerns in Lakki Marwat, where police and other law enforcement agencies faced repeated militant attacks.
On October 30, a police constable was killed in an armed attack in the district. Two suspects allegedly linked to the attack were later killed during a joint operation by the police and the Counter Terrorism Department.
A search for the injured suspect is ongoing, while investigators are working to establish whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged attack plot.
Police independently verified their claims about the planned attack and the suspects' affiliations.
