In a stark reminder of the escalating wave of violence gripping Pakistan, an intelligence operator for the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) was gunned down inside his home by armed assailants in North Waziristan on Thursday, police confirmed.

According to preliminary reports, several unidentified gunmen forcibly entered the officer’s residence in the Miran Shah tehsil. The intruders opened fire, killing the official on the spot before successfully fleeing the scene of the crime.

The body of the slain officer, who was serving as an intelligence operative in Miran Shah, was transported to a local hospital for a postmortem examination.

In response to the brazen assault, law enforcement agencies have launched a comprehensive investigation into the killing. A large-scale search operation is now underway throughout the region to locate and apprehend the perpetrators.

This targeted assassination is the latest incident in a significant surge in militant activities that has plagued Pakistan, particularly the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, for over a year. The violence intensified after the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) formally ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022, vowing to renew attacks on security forces.

Recent data from security think tanks, including the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) and the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), underscores the severity of the situation. Last month alone, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was documented as the most-affected province, enduring 45 separate attacks that resulted in 54 deaths and left 49 individuals injured.