In another blow to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the security forces of Pakistan have eliminated an important ISKP operative in the Khyber district of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. The slain ISKP operative was involved in the Peshawar Mosque Bombing of 2022 that resulted in the martyrdom of 63 people.

Although the official details about the Khyber operation remain limited but the sources believe that the operation was conducted based on credible intelligence information and after careful surveillance of the area. This killing is not an isolated or a ‘regular’ security operation by Pakistan; instead, it reflects Pakistan’s ongoing commitment to the complete elimination of ISKP cells from Pakistan.

Pakistan eliminated the ISKP operative involved in the 2022 Peshawar Mosque bombing.

Over the past few years, Pakistan has undertaken broad and systematic operations against ISKP. Besides launching action against the leadership of ISKP, Pakistan worked to choke the regional network of ISKP that was aiding the ISKP activities in Pakistan directly and indirectly. In recent months, Pakistan launched sustained and coordinated operations against ISKP.

As part of these operations, Pakistan remained successful in disintegrating the operational cells and neutralizing the group’s ability to launch attacks. The campaign against ISKP didn’t only involve kinetic action inside the country, rather it also included intelligence cooperation with the U.S. and Turkey. The cumulative outcome has been the degradation of ISKP’s ability to maneuver, coordinate, recruit, and maintain any sort of presence inside Pakistan.

Pakistan’s anti-terrorism campaign against the ISKP has continued since 2022. In May of 2022, the security forces of Pakistan killed Hassan Shah, the then senior-most operative of ISKP. Reportedly, the intelligence-based operation against Shah also resulted in the killing of a suicide bomber who was preparing for the attack. Hassan Shah was the mind behind the attack on Koocha Risaldar Mosque, which targeted the Shia community.

Through this successful operation, Pakistan yielded valuable intelligence information about the operational approach and communication setup of ISIS. Following the killing of Hassan Shah, the counter terrorism department killed Subhanallah, aka Usman, in a raid in Bajaur. Usman was behind notorious attacks against the security forces and local leaders.  The killing of Usman is viewed as the structural end of the ISKP in KP.

In February 2024, security forces killed Surat Gul in a security operation in Khyber district. Gul was behind attacks on minorities in KP. Also, a few reports mentioned that Surat Gul was responsible for managing the weapon storage facilities of ISKP. The recovery of important information from the operation site indicated that ISKP sleeper cells in KP were already inactive. Besides taking action against the group within its borders, Pakistan has expanded cooperation against the ISKP with its global partners.

Operations combined domestic action with intelligence cooperation from the U.S. and Turkey.

In March 2025, Pakistan captured Mohammad Sharifullah, the ISKP operative behind the suicide attack at Kabul Airport in 2021. This arrest was the outcome of intelligence coordination between the U.S. and Pakistan. Since the operation was conducted solely by the security forces of Pakistan, it sent a clear message about the operational capability of Pakistan and Pakistan’s willingness to act as a torchbearer for counter-terrorism globally.

A similar operation was conducted for the arrest of Ozgur Altun, a Turkish national associated with ISKP. Altun was reportedly responsible for managing the propaganda campaign of ISKP. The security experts cite that the arrest of Altun has caused valuable damage to ISKP propaganda operations in South Asia. Pakistan has handed both ISKP operatives to the U.S. and Turkey, respectively. The handing over of these terrorists substantiates Pakistan’s counterterrorism commitment.

All these successes are not the outcome of sporadic actions; instead, Pakistan executes a deliberate and multi-pronged strategy to counter the menace of ISKP terrorism. At the bottom of these operations is a commitment that follows strict intelligence monitoring, swift strikes, and intelligence-based operations. All these operations have consistently targeted ISKP commanders who were preparing for attacks against the security forces and the civilian population. The Sanctions and Monitoring Committee of the UN has released a latest report that also credits Pakistan for limiting ISKP’s ability to inflict damage.

The analysis of Pakistan’s actions against the group posits that Pakistan has continued stringent actions against ISKP. Besides cutting the group recruitment channels, the security forces have worked to curb propaganda tools used by the ISKP. The group was known for exploiting the grievances of under underprivileged classes for attracting new fighters; however, Pakistan’s security forces have carried out consistent crackdowns in Khyber, Bajaur, and Waziristan that have culminated in the form of loss of territory for the ISKP, and this remains the reason for ISKP’s defensive posture.

Multiple senior ISKP leaders were killed or captured between 2022-2025.

While no country on the globe has gotten rid of terrorism however the recent record of Pakistan suggests that the country is following a persistent and planned approach against the entrenched terrorist organizations. As an outcome of successive actions against the ISKP, Pakistan has almost crippled the group’s ability to lodge attacks. Also, the ISKP’s ability to use Pakistan’s land against attacks on other countries is brought to zero. With watchfulness, intelligence-sharing, and continued operational preparedness, Pakistan appears well-suited to consolidate gains against the menace of terrorism. The ISKP threat within Pakistan is reduced to its lowest, and this marks a decisive step toward stability.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.