A policeman and a Levies official were martyred, while more than six others were injured, when terrorists attacked police and Levies stations in Balochistan’s Sherani district, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Two similar assaults were repelled the same day in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Deputy Commissioner Sherani, Hazrat Wali Kakar, said the attack also damaged the communication systems of the targeted stations.

An emergency was declared at Civil Hospital Zhob to provide treatment to the wounded.

“One Levies personnel is missing, while two others are injured,” DC Kakar said, adding that a search operation is underway to trace the missing man.

Security sources said clearance operations had been ordered to eliminate any lingering threats, stressing that Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to eradicating terrorism.

Later in the day, terrorists struck in Bannu. According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan, militants first attempted to storm the Miryan police station but were pushed back.

They then attacked the Mazang checkpoint, where security forces engaged them in heavy exchange of fire.

“Three terrorists were killed and four others wounded as their injured accomplices fled,” RPO Khan said.

He added that three policemen sustained minor injuries. Police successfully thwarted both attacks through bravery and tactical planning.

The assaults followed a deadly incident a day earlier in Balochistan’s Kech district, where five Pakistan Army soldiers including a captain were martyred after their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) during an intelligence-based sanitisation operation in Sher Bandi.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “five brave sons of the soil embraced martyrdom, including a captain.”

In a retaliatory action, security forces killed five terrorists linked to the Indian-backed proxy group Fitna al Hindustan.

Sanitisation operations in the surrounding areas remain ongoing to clear any remaining militants.

Earlier in the day, security forces eliminated 31 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy “Fitna al Khwarij” in two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district.

“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location, and after an intense fire exchange, 14 Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell”, the ISPR said.

The statement added that another intelligence-based operation was carried out in Bannu district, where security forces neutralised 17 more terrorists during the ensuing fire exchange.

The country has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated his resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country, saying that Afghanistan must choose between siding with terrorists or standing with Pakistan.

He has warned there would be zero tolerance for ambiguity on the issue.

Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Some refugees were born and raised in Pakistan; others are still waiting for third-country relocation.

According to media reports, following a 2023 crackdown on undocumented Afghans and those exceeding legal status, more than 554,000 Afghans have been returned since April 2025 under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan including around 145,000 in August.

According to security sources, masterminds and facilitators of terrorism are based in Afghanistan and are being supported by India.

The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points, which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.

However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.

The country witnessed a sharp escalation in militant attacks in August, with incidents surging by 74% compared to July, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The Islamabad-based think tank recorded 194 fatalities from militant attacks during the month.