Pakistan continues to face relentless violence from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). For the past eight months, the extremist group has been carrying out near-daily attacks, killing on average one member of the security forces every day.
Recently, a video from Bannu district went viral, showing Pakistani Army Major Adnan Aslam attempting to rescue a wounded comrade during a militant assault on a military base. While Major Adnan was widely praised for his bravery, the incident has reignited public anxiety over the growing toll of terrorism.
Disturbing figures
According to official statistics, TTP attacks claimed more than 2,500 lives in 2024. The number of assaults last year was 66% higher than in 2023. Between January and August 2025 alone, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) recorded 766 terrorist incidents. These left 166 soldiers, 92 policemen, and 159 civilians dead. In response, security forces killed 293 militants.
Why the surge in attacks?
Security analysts link the rise in TTP violence to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. A 2024 UN report estimated that the TTP maintains 6,000–6,500 fighters inside Afghanistan, benefiting from support and safe havens provided by the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of sheltering the group — an allegation Afghanistan rejects.
The TTP has also strengthened organizationally. After the killing of its former chief Mullah Fazlullah in a 2018 US drone strike, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud took command. He successfully regrouped splinter factions, giving the outfit a more cohesive and lethal structure.
Hotbeds of violence
Districts such as Bannu, North Waziristan, Khyber, and Bajaur remain the worst affected. Both Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir have visited Bannu in recent weeks, issuing stern warnings to Kabul to act against the TTP.
Yet, on the ground, Pakistan’s struggle shows no signs of easing. The daily bloodshed underscores how deeply entrenched the TTP’s terror campaign has become — and how difficult it will be for Islamabad to regain control.
