Security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have arrested a former Afghan army soldier who allegedly planned terrorist attacks in Pakistan, police said on Wednesday. The suspect was arrested near Peshawar after travelling through the Tirah Valley, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

The arrest was announced at a press conference in Peshawar by Mahmood Jan, adviser for information to the Area Development Secretariat, alongside Additional Inspector General Syed Abbas Ahsan. Police described the arrest as an important breakthrough in efforts to prevent attacks in the province.

Facilitators identified, police say

Additional Inspector General Ahsan said interrogation of the suspect had helped investigators identify his facilitators in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and establish details of his training and alleged involvement in militant activities. No further details about the suspect's identity were released.

Geo News also reported the arrest in its afternoon headlines on Wednesday, describing the man as an Afghan-trained suspected terrorist arrested in Tirah. The arrest comes amid a sustained campaign of militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces and polio vaccination teams have repeatedly been targeted in recent weeks.

Police said investigations were continuing. The suspect remains in custody while investigators pursue the network behind the alleged plot, as security forces continue operations against cross-border militant movement in the province.