K-P security situation: Fewer terror attacks but more fatalities

Police official says last year was peaceful for K-P due to the military operations

PESHAWAR: Casualty figures increased despite an overall decline in the number of terrorist attacks in the first nine months of this year across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

As many as 146 terrorist attacks took place across the province this year in contrast to 172 last year. The attacks included 52 IED, four suicide and 14 grenade attacks in addition to 76 firing incidents, showing a 26 percent decline in the number of total attacks.

During the same period last year, 68 IED, five suicide, 28 hand grenade attacks in addition to a missile attack and 66 firing incidents were reported.

The casualty rate this year, however, exceeds that of the past year: at least 148 people have so far been killed, including 51 policemen, four Frontier Constabulary (FC) men, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) inspector and 89 civilians against 86 persons killed last year.

The police casualty figure is also higher: so far, 51 policemen were killed this year in contrast to 40 killed in 2015.

The casualty figure for civilians has also gone up: at least 89 were reported dead by comparison with 40 last year.

The number of injured in terrorists attack also saw a substantial increase: as many as 374 people were wounded this year than 194 hurt last year.

The injured include 90 policemen, eight armymen and 276 civilians against 55 policemen, one armyman and 133 civilians wounded last year.

A police official said that terrorists preferred targeted killings this year as 76 incidents were reported against 66 of last year.

“Last year was unusually peaceful for the province because of military operations and a large-scale crackdown against terrorists in the shape of National Action Plan (NAP). It is, however, evident now that terrorists have regrouped in Afghanistan and they have devised a strategy to target policemen in such incidents,” he said, adding that higher casualty figure was really worrying.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2016.