ISLAMABAD: The son of the deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Badghis province was among four terrorists eliminated in a counterterrorism operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last week, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
The operation, reportedly an intelligence-based operation (IBO), was conducted in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district on January 31. Security forces successfully neutralized four terrorists belonging to the banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to by the state as Fitnah Al Khawarij.
“According to sources, four terrorists of Fitnah Al Khawarij were killed by the security forces during a successful operation in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan a few days back,” the report stated. Among them was Badaruddin alias Yousaf, identified as the son of the deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Badghis province.
Islamabad has persistently accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants who launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan, a claim Kabul denies. According to sources, despite multiple requests from Pakistan, Afghan authorities refused to receive Badaruddin’s body.
Terrorist Links and Recovered Arms
Radio Pakistan cited intelligence reports stating that Badaruddin had undergone training at an Afghan Taliban training center before joining the TTP. He was allegedly involved in orchestrating recent terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory into Pakistan.
The report also highlighted that sophisticated American-made night vision equipment, M16A4 rifles, and M24 sniper rifles were recovered from the killed terrorists.
Unnamed defense analysts claimed that Badaruddin’s affiliation with the TTP and his familial ties with an Afghan official further confirmed the link between the Afghan Taliban and terrorist organizations operating in Pakistan. They asserted that “Afghanistan has become a breeding ground for all kinds of terrorists, necessitating urgent international action.”
Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Response
This incident follows Pakistan’s earlier repatriation of an Afghan national’s body who was involved in terrorist activities and killed in an IBO in Balochistan’s Zhob district. The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated that such incidents serve as “irrefutable evidence” of Afghan nationals’ involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.
Rising Terrorism Concerns
Pakistan has faced an alarming surge in terrorist attacks since the TTP unilaterally ended a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government. According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), 2024 was the deadliest year in a decade for security forces, with at least 685 personnel killed in 444 terrorist attacks. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported a 42% increase in terror incidents in January alone, prompting intensified counterterrorism efforts by security forces.
Authorities continue to urge Afghanistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups operating from its soil, warning that failure to do so will only escalate regional security concerns.
