rom January 1 to December 20, 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa endured one of the most violent periods in recent memory. Militancy inflicted a heavy toll on civilians, security forces and infrastructure and threats to press freedom and cross-border tensions with Afghanistan escalated, leaving communities anxious and daily life disrupted.

The province recorded 1,588 terror incidents in 2025, highlighting the growing crisis with cross-border militants and Afghan nationals involved in attacks. These assaults resulted in the deaths of 223 civilians and injuries to 570 others.

Data compiled from police records, independent think tanks and media monitoring organisations shows that over 600 terrorist attacks were reported by early September, predominantly carried out by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and its allied groups. By mid-year, at least 138 civilians had been martyred, hundreds more were wounded.

Several major attacks shook Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2025. On March 4, a double suicide car bombing in Bannu martyred 12 civilians, including seven children and wounded around 30, destroying nearby buildings and a mosque roof. On June 28, a suicide car bombing in North Waziristan, targeting military vehicles, martyred 14 soldiers and wounded 25, including civilians. On December 19, a coordinated suicide bombing and armed assault on a military post in North Waziristan martyred four soldiers and injured at least 15 civilians, damaging several homes and a mosque. In mid-December, suspected militants in Bajaur shot dead a police officer guarding a polio vaccination team and a passerby, underscoring the persistent threat to public health operations.

Bomb detonations damaged police outposts, Frontier Corps installations and civilian neighborhoods, displacing families and disrupting daily life in North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Khyber districts as well as Bannu.

Tensions along the Afghan-Pakistan border escalated dramatically in October 2025. A ceasefire was later brokered but distrust persists between Islamabad and Kabul, with the two sides exchanging accusations over militant safe havens and attacks.

Amid the security crisis, threats against journalists surged sharply across Pakistan. The Freedom Network documented 142 violations against journalists and media professionals between November 2024 and September 2025, a nearly 60 percent increase compared with the previous year. These violations included physical assaults, killings, legal harassment and censorship. While global reports indicate that 111 journalists were killed worldwide in 2025, localised reporting confirms that Pakistani journalists, especially journalists based in conflict regions, faced threats, legal action and targeted violence.

Tensions along the Afghan-Pakistan border escalated dramatically in October 2025. A ceasefire was later brokered, but distrust persists between Islamabad and Kabul, with the two sides exchanging accusations over militant safe havens and attacks.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan maintained a strength of around 6,000 fighters across Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika and Paktiya provinces in Afghanistan. The group launched its spring offensive, called Al-Khandaq, on March 15, targeting Pakistani security forces and installations. Many suicide bombers in Pakistan were reported to be Afghan citizens. In Tirah valley in Khyber district, terrorist attacks claimed 34 lives from January 1 to December 20. The casualties included 24 people have were martyred in a blast in Matur Dara in September. In July, security forces firing on protesters in Bagh-Maidan, Tirah valley, resulted in the deaths of seven civilians. At least two Frontier Constabulary personnel were also martyred in attacks in the region.

The TTP leadership reportedly receives logistical and financial support from the Afghan Taliban. Some of the senior TTP leaders, including Noor Wali Mehsud, are reported to be in Kabul and other provinces. Government officials claim that the family of Mehsud receives three million Afghanis, roughly $43,000, monthly. The group continues to groom potential successors. Mukarram Shah, leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, is residing in Lal Pura district of Nangarhar; Qari Amjad and his deputy Akbar of Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat in Shultan district of Kunar; and Hafiz Gul Bahadur in Paktika province.

Al-Qaida remains active in Afghanistan, with senior commanders reportedly living in Kabul and the Haqqani network providing additional support. Al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent, led by Osama Mahmood, operates in southeastern Afghanistan with 200 to 300 members, increasingly focusing on Pakistan and collaborating with the TTP for training and operations.

Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffer from deep anxiety over daily life, including travel, education and access to healthcare. Displacement, property damage and frequent militant attacks have disrupted routine activities, particularly in North and South Waziristan, Bajaur and Khyber districts.

In response to the persistent insurgency and rising violence, a major counter-insurgency operation is scheduled to begin in January 2026, targeting militant infrastructure in border areas including Tirah valley in Khyber district. Authorities have asked citizens to vacate their homes ahead of the operation. Several civil society groups have expressed concern over potential impact of the operation and displacement.

As 2025 draws to a close, the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains bleak. The year has been marked by high human costs, erosion of press freedom and growing concern about regional instability. The persistent presence of cross-border militants and the rising frequency of terrorists attacks suggest that 2026 maybe a challenging year for civilians and security forces alike.

The writer is a freelance journalist and social worker.