IBOs the way to go

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Amidst casualties, it's a moment of pride for the brave armed forces who have deterred the invisible enemy on the premise of their invaluable sacrifices. Yet, in two other intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the restive districts of Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, four soldiers embraced martyrdom in the process of exterminating 15 terrorists. In a similar fight-out, a Levies man was killed on Sunday as a check-post was fired upon by disgruntled elements in Balochistan's Kalat district. This bravado was witnessed close on the heels of another operation last week in which 13 disgruntled fugitives were killed.

These incidents have come to prove beyond any doubt that the nation is in a state of war and terror fissures are all around. Statistics compiled by a think tank, Centre for Research and Security Studies, reveals that 2024 was the deadliest year as more than 685 soldiers lost their lives, and at least 444 terror attacks were reported. The gravity has passed on to the current year as terrorists are regrouping and apparently seem to be scot-free, especially with the crossing over of Afghan Taliban from the western frontiers.

The intensity could be gauged from the fact that security forces had conducted a total of 59,775 operations last year during which 925 terrorists were killed. It has also led to a snowball reaction wherein Baloch nationalist elements are seen working in close association with TTP and other foreign elements in Balochistan and K-P, and their prime targets are law-enforcement agencies and the Chinese engineers. This pattern, at least, makes it clear that terror has little to do with local socio-political revulsion and is being stage-managed by ulterior forces beyond the geographical horizons of Pakistan.

The point is what is the way out? This gangrene can better be addressed by beefing up intelligence and conducting more target-precision operations. At the same time, soaring domestic unrest can be neutralised by putting the locals at the vanguard of decision-making.