Khyber is the code-name for a military offensive being conducted by Pakistan's military in the Khyber Agency in two phases Khyber-1 and Khyber-2. Khyber Agency is among Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with homegrown insurgents and foreign militants. Terrorist organisations including Al Qaeda also have a presence there. The plains of Bara hold strategic significance for militant groups as they connect the agency to the outskirts of Peshawar. The key area also straddles the NATO supply line into Afghanistan. The region has been long fought over by a mix of militant organisations, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Ansarul Islam and Mangal Bagh’s Lashkar-e-Islam.