There was no let-up in militant attacks in February either, with security personnel being the main target once again. Following the breakdown of talks with the government and the end of the ceasefire, the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) has become bold and more lethal. This can be gauged from the statistics released by a think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), for February.
As per the available data, the number of attacks increased last month compared to January.
As many as 58 attacks were carried out by militants in February, in which 62 people lost their lives. Out of these casualties, 18 were security personnel, 27 were civilians, and 17 were militants. There were 134 people injured in total, including 80 security personnel and 54 civilians.
It was the first since June 2015 that 58 attacks were recorded in a single month. The most high-profile attack in February was the TTP targeting the Karachi police headquarters. Although the percentage of attacks rose by 32 per cent last month compared to January, the casualty figure reduced by 56 per cent. The number of attacks increased in the tribal districts compared to other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A similar trend was witnessed in Balochistan where the frequency of attacks was the highest. At least 22 attacks were recorded in which 25 people were killed and 61 injured, the PICSS stated.
There was also a rise in the number of attacks in Punjab and Sindh. February also saw an increase in security forces’ response. According to the think tank’s data, 55 militants were killed and as many as 75 arrested across the country. An uptick in suicide attacks was also seen though the number of casualties due to them was not as high as those in January. Three suicide attacks were recorded last month, which claimed nine lives and wounded 37 people. In comparison, 106 people were killed and 216 injured in January in two suicide attacks,” the PICSS report stated.
A security think tank, the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), stated in its report that Pakistan was likely to face more violent attacks in the year 2023. The three terror networks-the TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the so-called Islamic State-are the main threats the security forces are confronted with.
The positive aspect of the PICSS report is the security forces are stepping up their counter-offensive. There is a need to target militants before they strike, and for that, intelligence-based operations need to be increased. The Central Apex Committee, in its recent meeting, had linked eliminating terrorism to economic recovery and political stability. There is no doubt that a stable country can tackle the scourge of terrorism more effectively. A united stand is required, and for that a political consensus is necessary. Only then can we take terrorism head-on?