PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed lowest number of incidents of terrorism in the year 2016 as compared to last six years.
While giving a detailed briefing to the Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Nasir Khan Durrani to show the current terrorism situation all over the province, Additional Inspector General Counter-Terrorism Department (IG CTD) Salah-ud-Din told that during the year 2016, 238 incidents of terrorism took place as compared to 610 and 297 in the year of 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Similarly, the incidents for kidnapping for ransom and extortion also showed a remarkable decrease as compared to last three years. 100 cases of extortion took place as compared to 344 incidents in the year 2014 and 178 incidents in the year 2015.
Likewise, 22 incidents of kidnapping for ransom took place as compared to 110 and 53 incidents in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
During the year 2016, 238 number of terrorism took place in which 181 person died. These incidents included attack on Bacha Khan University Charsadda, NADRA office and Kacheri in Mardan and attack on Frontier Corps (FC) convoy in Peshawar etc. Police personnel showed extreme bravery by obstructing the suicide bombers and were martyred.
During briefing, positive results of Operation Zarb-e-Azb were also discussed and it was found that the Army Operation in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) has remarkable effects on the overall security situation in the province.
The IGP was also briefed about the challenges for KPK Police in the face of Zarb-e-Azb. There were two major challenges for KPK Police that were nabbing the fleeing militants who had escaped to settled area as a result of operation and to stop their further infiltration.
In this connection, the KPK Police responded very effectively and arrested 1195 hardcore militants while 121 Proclaimed Offenders carrying head money were also arrested. 1192 cases of terrorism were traced and challaned.
The additional IGP CTD highlighted this aspect during the briefing that had these militants escaped from FATA were not arrested they could have played havoc in KPK.
Similarly in order to stop the infiltration and denying bases to the militants in settled areas, police undertook an extensive campaign of search & strike operations and also against land lords who had let out their places without informing police. In this connection, 22506 cases have been registered.
The IGP appreciated the role of KPK police in general and CTD in particular for rising up to the challenge and taking effective steps for neutralizing the militants in settled areas.
