PESHAWAR: Islamabad Imambargah Attack Mastermind Killed in Peshawar after Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted an intelligence-based operation against suspected terrorist affiliated with the Afghanistan-based Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), officials said.
The operation took place near Shamshatoo Camp on the outskirts of Peshawar and resulted in the deaths of five suspected ISKP terrorists. According to CTD officials, the suspects were allegedly preparing further terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
The operation is considered significant because one of those killed was allegedly involved in the February 2026 attack on the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area. The deadly attack, which occurred during Friday prayers, killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others. ISKP claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Islamabad Imambargah Attack Mastermind Killed in Peshawar Operation
CTD officials said the operation was launched after intelligence agencies received information about the presence of suspected ISKP terrorist at a compound in the Shamshatoo Camp area.
Security personnel surrounded the suspected hideout and carried out the operation, killing five terrorists, according to officials.
A range of weapons and explosive material was recovered from the site. Authorities said the recovered items included a short machine gun, four pistols, two hand grenades, five magazines, a locally manufactured improvised explosive device (IED) and ammunition.
Two of the deceased suspects were identified through documents found in their possession. One was identified as Imran, alias Abdullah, son of Dilawar Khan, a resident of Tarkho Katkoot in Bajaur’s Mamund tehsil. Another was identified as Shahidullah, son of Miraj, from Sheikh Baba Charta in Upper Mohmand.
The CTD said Imran, alias Abdullah, Bilal and Abu Bakar were among highly wanted suspects allegedly linked to around 20 cases involving bomb explosions, targeted killings and other terrorist activities in Peshawar and elsewhere in Pakistan.
Suspects Linked to High-Profile Killings
According to the CTD, some of the terrorists killed in the operation were also linked to attacks against prominent political and religious figures.
Former Senator Hidayatullah Khan was killed in a remote-controlled IED attack in Bajaur on July 3, 2024. His vehicle was targeted while he was travelling as part of an election campaign. Five people, including the former senator, were killed.
Maulana Khan Zeb, an Awami National Party leader and religious scholar, was assassinated in Bajaur on July 10, 2025, while he was campaigning for a peace march. A policeman was also killed and three other people were injured.
The alleged involvement of the suspects in such attacks has increased the significance of the Peshawar operation for Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign.
Pakistan Steps Up Pressure on ISKP
The operation comes as Pakistani security agencies continue efforts to disrupt ISKP networks and arrest or eliminate senior operatives.
In February 2025, Pakistani authorities arrested Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national described as a senior ISKP commander. He was accused of involvement in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport and was later handed over to the United States.
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The Abbey Gate attack, carried out during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, killed 13 American service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.
Pakistan has also arrested senior ISKP spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azzam. A United Nations report said his arrest significantly affected the group’s operational and propaganda capabilities.
Security Concerns Around Afghan-Based Militancy
The Peshawar operation has also highlighted Pakistan’s broader concerns over terrorist networks operating from or around Afghanistan.
A United Nations Security Council monitoring report covering December 2025 to June 2026 warned about operational and facilitation links among several terrorist organisations operating in and around Afghanistan.
The report identified the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the most immediate terrorist threat to Pakistan and also discussed links involving Al-Qaeda, ISKP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns that militant groups are using Afghan territory for recruitment, training, planning and facilitating attacks against the country.
The latest CTD operation demonstrates the continuing pressure being placed on terrorist networks inside Pakistan. The killing of a suspect allegedly linked to the Islamabad imambargah bombing could also provide investigators with an important development in their efforts to dismantle the wider network behind the attack.
