Security forces rescue all students, staff from Cadet College Wana, launch search for terrorists

Wana (Web Desk): Security forces on Tuesday successfully completed the rescue of all students and teachers trapped at Cadet College Wana after a terrorist assault, as the clearance operation moved toward its final stage, according to security officials.

They said the mission would continue until every militant involved had been neutralized. A careful and calculated strategy, they added, was vital because Afghan-origin Khawarij militants were still hiding inside the compound, and ensuring the safety of cadets remained the top priority.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that three people had embraced martyrdom during the operation. He told journalists that the attackers had tried to take hostages within the college but failed in their attempt, noting that the assailants were in direct contact with their handlers across the border in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that terrorists backed by India had carried out the assault on Cadet College Wana, with security forces having killed two attackers and cornered three others inside the premises.

In a subsequent statement, the security forces said the attackers were members of Fitna al-Khwarij, an Indian proxy group, who had detonated a vehicle-borne explosive device at the college’s main gate, damaging nearby buildings. The troops immediately retaliated, killing two militants on the spot

According to officials, the remaining terrorists, who were receiving directions from Afghanistan, had taken shelter in a building distant from the cadets’ residential quarters. At the time of the attack, roughly 650 people, including 525 cadets, were present inside the college.

Authorities said the aim of the strike was to spread fear among the youth of the former tribal districts who are pursuing modern education to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

The military termed the attack “a brutal act of terrorism orchestrated by Khawarij from Afghanistan,” and said it directly contradicted Kabul’s claims that such groups no longer exist on Afghan territory. The statement added that Pakistan reserves the right to take appropriate action against these terrorists and their leadership operating from across the border.

The assault took place just days after peace talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government collapsed, though a ceasefire between the two countries remains intact for now.

Last week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced that dialogue with the Afghan authorities had been suspended, saying there was currently “no plan for a fourth round of discussions.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the opening session of the Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference on Tuesday, urged Kabul to clamp down on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant factions using Afghan soil for cross-border attacks.

He emphasized that sustainable regional peace and development depended on a stable and cooperative Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan must realise that true and lasting peace will only come when the TTP and other terrorist outfits operating from its territory are brought under control,” the prime minister remarked.