‘Resurgence in terrorist attacks after a two-week lull’

A report says most of the casualties were because of cross-border attacks.

ISLAMABAD:

At least 22 people were killed and 64 injured in terrorist attacks in cross-border militant attacks on security check posts and villages along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, according to a weekly report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (Pips).

The report, which was issued on Saturday, said that the number of attacks on security forces across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) registered a drastic increase during the week ending on July 10.

The report showed that militant attacks spiked during the previous week after a relative lull in the preceding two weeks.

Attacks on security forces across the province’s settled and tribal areas started in the end of the second week of June in which 41 deaths occurred. As many as 120 people were injured in these incidents.

However, the attacks intensified again after a gap of two weeks, resulting in 48 deaths and 150 injuries.

The report also showed that the overall rate of deaths during the reporting week remained high, mainly because of security forces’ retaliatory attacks against militants and drone strikes and clashes between extremists and pro-government tribal militias (lashkars).

The increase in casualties, the report said, was also because a larger number of security personnel got injured in these terrorist attacks, mainly in cross-border attacks and ambushes on check posts and patrol convoys.

The number of civilian casualties, it said, were also higher because of firefights between militants and security personnel. “Militants suffered most casualties,” the report added.

As many as 11 security personnel, including two policemen, five Frontier Constabulary (FC) men and four army soldiers, were killed and 50 others were wounded in terrorist attacks.

Interestingly, no attack was reported on Afghanistan-bound Nato supply trucks and oil tankers.

There were, however, reports of fresh clashes between Mangal Bagh-led Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and tribal volunteers of Zakhakhel militia in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency.

An anti-militant operation named Barekhna (lightening) continued in Orakzai Agency amid volatile security situation. “After the initiation of a military operation Spin Gher in central Kurram Agency, security forces cleared several localities of Manato, Gawki, Sangroba and Dombeki in the Zaimusht area without facing any resistance,” the report said.

In K-P as many as eight attacks occurred which left seven people dead, including five civilians and two policemen. At least 23 others were injured.

Most of these attacks took place in Peshawar, Darra Adamkhel and Upper Dir districts. Whereas 15 attacks occurred in Fata in which 15 people were killed, including nine civilians, four army and two FC soldiers. Forty-one people were injured in the attacks.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2011.