NSC convenes today amid spike in terror attacks

Three troops martyred in Kurram gun battle which also left two terrorists dead

ISLAMABAD:

Three servicemen were martyred in a fierce gunfight with terrorists in Kurram tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, a day before the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC) is set to convene to take important decisions in the wake of a renewed wave of terrorist violence in the country.

Two terrorists were also killed in the “intense fire exchange” that took place in the Arawali area of Kurram District on December 29, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the ISPR. “The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces,” it added. “Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from them.”

The Pakistan Army troops fought bravely and effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, according to the ISPR. During the fierce exchange of fire that ensued three troops, identified as Subedar Shuja Muhammad, 43, resident of Khairpur, Naik Muhammad Ramzan, 32, resident of Khuzdar, and Sepoy Abdul Rehman, 30, resident of Sukkur, embraced martyrdom fighting gallantly.

The military said sanitization of the area was being carried out to eliminate any threat there.  “Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it further said.

The deadly clash took place a day after the corps commanders reiterated their resolve to fight against terrorists without any distinction and eliminate this menace.

There has been an upsurge in terrorist attacks claimed mostly by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which unilaterally tore up a ceasefire in November effectively ending a start-stop negotiation process brokered by the Afghan Taliban. The TTP has been directing its terror campaign against Pakistan from its safe havens across the border in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC) is set to meet on Friday to take important decisions in the wake of renewed threat posed by the TTP. Ahead of the meeting, army chief General Syed Asim Munir called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to discuss the internal security situation with a particular reference to the TTP resurgence.

It is believed that the COAS and the PM finalized the NSC meeting agenda. This will be the first NSC huddle since the change of command at the army. The civil and military leadership will take stock of the current security situation and review the state policy.

Official sources said that consultations have been ongoing for several days on how to tackle the TTP, which has stepped up terrorist attacks in recent months.
Since the Afghan Taliban takeover, over 420 terrorist attacks have been recorded. In the last three months alone, the TTP claimed responsibility for 141 attacks.

The attacks were carried out despite the fact that the TTP announced a ceasefire in June that lasted till November 28. Officials say that the TTP has used the ceasefire and peace talks to regroup.

There has been growing realisation in official circles that the policy to seek a peace deal with the TTP has failed and hence requires a new strategy. Against this backdrop, there is a possibility that the NSC will discuss the launch of a targeted operation against the TTP in certain areas of K-P.

There are reports that the TTP terrorists are present in big numbers in certain districts of K-P. Most of them are those who were allowed to return as part of a confidence building measure during the moribund peace process.

A senior government official who disagreed with that approach told The Express Tribune that allowing TTP members without any tangible outcome of talks was a mistake. “More than the Afghan Taliban we need to blame ourselves,” the official said while requesting anonymity.

The official was of the view that Pakistan had the opportunity to neutralize the TTP threat better but the previous dispensation did not opt for that option. “I have to admit that some of our decision-makers took the TTP threat lightly. They were confident that the TTP could be taken care of later,” the official revealed. “That policy has now come back to haunt us,” the official said.

On the table will also be the current state of Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. Bilateral ties have been under stress after recent border incidents in Chaman. Officials are worried that the Afghan Taliban regime was not coming up to the expectations. However, despite hiccups, Pakistan will continue to seek

engagement with Afghanistan, according to sources.
Pakistan will persuade the Afghan Taliban government to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries while at the same time urging Kabul to revisit some of its decisions, including banning women’s education.