The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) abducted 17 civilian workers at gunpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Thursday, with security forces recovering eight of them, sources told Geo News. Sources said militants ambushed a vehicle transporting unarmed civilians, took them hostage, set it on fire, and fled with the captives. Meanwhile, the security forces in a joint operation with the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) recovered eight of the abducted civilians, sources said, adding that an operation was underway to recover the rest. Sources added that security forces were determined to bring the elements who committed this "ruthless act" to justice. "Such actions of Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan and the people have nothing to do with religion and Islamic values," they added. Earlier in the day, police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) — in a joint operation in Lakki Marwat — gunned down three TTP militants. The CTD, in a statement, said they received information about the presence of a dozen militants in the area, upon which an intelligence-based operation was conducted. An intense exchange of fire took place between the raiding team and the militants, which resulted in the killing of three terrorists. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from slain militants, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces, it added. The nation has been reeling under rising violent attacks since the Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies. Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e., 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63% of the total recorded this year, marking 73% more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, The News reported citing CRSS report. The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven people lost their lives daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year. The violence took the heaviest toll on KP which topped in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 fatalities. In 2024, the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws. This tally of casualties stemmed from 1,166 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for the country’s security landscape.