Pakistan launches three-day counter-terror operation in restive tribal district

Pakistani authorities have launched a three-day counter-terrorism operation in the northwestern tribal district of Bajaur amid heightened concerns over public safety.

According to an official notification issued by the deputy commissioner on Tuesday, a curfew has been imposed in 16 villages of Loe Mamund tehsil.

Strict restrictions on movement have been imposed, with no one allowed to walk or use any vehicle on main roads or residential areas within the designated localities.

The affected villages include Bad-e-Siah, Tarkho, Irab, Gat, Agra, Khurchai, Dawaqai, Kalan, Legharai, Kitkot, Gillai, Nakhtar, Zarai, Dambarai, Amanata, and Zagai.

The curfew will remain in place until July 31, unless it is extended or withdrawn by the authorities.

Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan described the move as a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring public safety during the course of the targeted security operations.

“The restrictions are necessary to prevent potential unrest and to facilitate the smooth execution of the security measures,” he said.

Khan added that an emergency control room operated by the district administration and police has been made operational round the clock, and contact numbers have been shared with the public to report any emergency.

Taliban hideout

Bajaur, which shares a border with Afghanistan, has been a hideout for terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State.

Security sources told Nukta on condition of anonymity that both groups have reactivated sleeper cells in the region following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan.

In recent months, Bajaur has witnessed a surge in militant violence, with five major attacks reported over the past two months.

Repeated attacks have targeted the residences of government figures in the region, including a provincial lawmaker, Hamid ur Rehman, and a prime minister's aide, Mubarak Zeb. Both of them survived the attacks.

Earlier this month, five people were killed, including a government officer, when a roadside bomb struck their convoy. Another local political leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) was shot dead.

'We have suffered enough'

In response to the renewed violence, residents of Bajaur — joined by lawmakers and civil society activists — held a peace march earlier this month, demanding an end to militancy and state operations that uproot communities.

There is broad opposition among locals to new full-scale military campaigns, which they say lead to mass displacement. Instead, they are calling for precise, intelligence-based actions.

“More than 20 military operations have taken place. What has been the result?” asked Nisar Baz, an elected representative from Bajaur. “Each time, the state declares the area cleared and urges families to return, only for the cycle to repeat.”

Ajmal Khan, another lawmaker from the area, told Nukta: “Our people have sacrificed enough. Now our only demand is peace.”