Islamabad, Pakistan: Since the Afghan Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021, terrorist attacks on Pakistan Army have increased manifold. Here is a brief of the latest situation:
Casualties:
- 35 Soldiers martyred
- 2 Soldiers injured
Attacks in chronological order:
On August 18, 2021, Pakistan Army Naib Subedar Sonay Zai embraced shahadat in fighting against terrorists in Kanniguram area of the South Waziristan District.
On August 22, 2021, Pakistan Army Captain Kashif embraced shahadat while two soldiers got injured when a vehicle of the security forces vehicle struck an IED planted by terrorists in Tobo, Gichik Balochistan.
On August 29, 2021, 2 Pakistan Army soldiers including Sepoy Jamal and Sepoy Ayaz embraced shahadat when terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border, opened fire on a military post in Bajaur District.
On October 2, 2021, 4 Frontier Corps soldiers namely Havaldar Zahid, Havaldar Ishaq, Lance Naik Wali & Lance Naik Abdul Majeed, and 1 Levies Sub inspector Javed embraced shahadat when terrorists targeted security forces vehicle in Spinwam, North Waziristan.
On October 18, 2021, Pakistan Army Sepoy Saifullah embraced shahadat when terrorists fired on a security forces post in Spinwam, North Waziristan.
On October 20, 2021, Pakistan Army Sepoy Muhammad Qaiser embraced shahadat when terrorists fire raid security forces post in District Kech, Balochistan.
On October 22, 2021, 2 Pakistan Army soldiers including Naik Khalil and Sepoy Shakir Ullah embraced shahadat in fighting with terrorists during an IBO in Miran Shah, North Waziristan.
On October 27, 2021, 2 Pakistan Army soldiers Lance Naik Asad and Sepoy Asif embraced shahadat in a fight with terrorists when the latter from inside Afghanistan attempted to cross the fence along Pak-Afghan Border in district Kurram.
On November 22, 2021, Pakistan Army sepoy Jalil Khan was martyred when a terrorists targeted a patrolling party of security forces in the Panjgur area of Balochistan along the Pakistan-Iran border.
On November 27, 2021, 2 Pakistan Army soldiers including Naik Rehman and Lance Naik Arif embraced shahadat when terrorists targeted a military post in Datta Khel, North Waziristan.
On December 24, 2021, 2 Pakistan Army soldiers Lance Naik Manzar Abbas and Sepoy Abdul Fath embraced martyrdom when terrorists targeted a security forces check post in District Kech, Balochistan.
On December 25, 2021, Pakistan Army Naik Noor Merjan embraced shahadat when terrorists fired at a military post in Shewa, North Waziristan District.
On December 31, 2021, 4 Pakistan army soldiers including Havaldar Munawar, Sepoy Zaka Ullah, Sepoy Farhan, and Sepoy Sheraz embraced martyrdom in the fight against terrorists during an IBO in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district.
On January 25-26 night, 2022, 10 Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack on a security forces check post in Balochistan’s Kech district. Ten soldiers embraced martyrdom after terrorists attacked a security forces check post in Balochistan’s Kech district in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.
An intense exchange of fire occurred in the “fire raid” by terrorists on the check post. It added that the forces repulsed the attack, killing one terrorist, injuring several others, and apprehending three.
According to the ISPR “ 3 Terrorists have been apprehended in follow up clearance operation, still in progress to hunt down perpetrators of the incident. Armed Forces are determined to eliminate terrorists from our soil no matter what the cost,”
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of 10 Pak Army soldiers in Balochistan. He expressed sympathy with the families of the martyrs, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Every drop of the blood of the soldiers guarantees the security of the country,” the prime minister said. “The cowardly enemy faces a strong nation that has already defeated terrorism,” the statement said.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, had said in a report that the country witnessed a 56% surge in militant attacks during the year 2021 after a consistent decline in the attacks during the previous six years.
The PICSS statistics showed that the militants have carried out 294 attacks in 2021 in which 395 people were martyred, including 186 civilians and 192 security forces personnel. At least 629 people were injured, including 400 civilians and 217 security forces personnel. Security forces also killed 188 militants and arrested at least 222 suspected militants during the year, the PICSS report had added.
Last week, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid addressed a press where he spoke about a recent rise in incidents of terrorism in the country. He said that his ministry had alerted the armed forces and civilian law-enforcement agencies, asking them to stay vigilant.
“Last night, the Interior Ministry told all armed forces, civil armed forces, IGs (inspectors general of police), chief secretaries, Frontier Corps IGs and Rangers IG to stay alert and watchful,” he told the press conference on Saturday.
Referring to an incident that took place in the Anarkali area of Lahore on Thursday last, the minister said that a “surge in the wave [of terrorism]” had been observed in the country in the recent past.
He told reporters that terrorism incidents rose by around “35% since August 15. “But this cannot bring down our nation, morale, spirit, and armed forces,” the interior minister continued. The nation, he added, was “prepared to bravely face the challenge” of terrorism.
During the last two years, the TTP and its factions have carried out 11 terrorist attacks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, resulting in the deaths of 13 security, mainly police, officials.
The worrying aspect is that in the past the TTP remained active mainly in the outskirts of the federal capital, but the latest attack was reported from a busy sector in the heart of Islamabad.
Some media reports indicate that certain Afghan Taliban leaders are trying to restrict the movement of the TTP leaders and impose an arms embargo on the group. But the situation on the ground is different and the TTP’s confidence is gradually improving. Meanwhile, Pakistan has reportedly initiated another round of peace talks with the TTP through a tribal jirga.
Security institutions have to carefully craft the approaches to deal with groups like the TTP and Al Qaeda which are under the protection of the Taliban regime. The TTP is not only a major actor of violence in Pakistan, it is also a facilitator of the regional operations of Al Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
