A major security operation was underway at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan on Monday after five militants stormed the campus, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military said two attackers were shot dead, while three managed to enter the facility and have been contained inside the administration block.
Security officials said the group attempted to breach the perimeter, and when stopped, rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate — bringing it down and damaging nearby structures.
ISPR linked the attackers to a transnational militant network with handlers across the border, claiming the militants were receiving instructions from contacts inside Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly accused these networks of staging cross-border assaults.
The military compared the intent behind Monday’s attack to the 2014 assault on Army Public School Peshawar — saying the objective again appeared to be inflicting terror on students in the tribal belt who are pursuing mainstream education.
The statement added that a clearance operation was in progress, characterising the incident as part of a larger wave of foreign-backed militancy Pakistan says it has faced since 2021, when the Taliban takeover reshaped regional security dynamics.
Pakistan has seen a steady uptick in attacks, particularly in KP and Balochistan. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, KP recorded more than 600 militant incidents, resulting in the deaths of civilians, police personnel and soldiers.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have spiked repeatedly over these cross-border strikes and retaliatory fire. Both sides engaged in intense clashes in October, before agreeing to a ceasefire.
ISPR said Pakistan will keep pursuing the counter-terror strategy approved under “Azm-e-Istehkam” to dismantle militant networks and prevent campus, civilian or law enforcement targets from being attacked.
