Carnage in Peshawar

Those saying capacity, capability of TTP has been degraded by ongoing security operations are once again proved wrong

Mosques and imambargahs in the country are increasingly becoming more and more vulnerable, with prayer times often providing the greatest opportunity for mass murder, as these are the times when those attending mosques and imambargahs are at their most vulnerable. On January 30, it was the Shikarpur imambargah that took the full force of the blast leaving at least 60 dead and more than 100 injured. On Friday, February 13, it was the Imamia Masjid in the upmarket area of Hayatabad in Peshawar where a similar atrocity was perpetrated. At least 20 were killed and 59 injured, many of those injured being in a critical condition. There were at least 800 in the building at the time and security was light, limited to a single policeman. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was quick to own the attack, which bore some striking similarities to the attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.

The methodologies of terrorism are evolving faster than the methodologies of those who seek to countervail terror activity. The attack on the Imamia Masjid was multifaceted and was a mix of suicide bombers, hand grenades and automatic weapons. The attackers did not come through the front door and are believed to have burnt the vehicle they arrived in, as did the attackers at APS in a possible attempt to destroy any forensic evidence they may leave behind. The congregation fought back, and one of the attackers was killed before he could detonate, but in the end, the attackers prevailed, with bloody consequences. One thing is becoming clearer by the day. Those saying that the capacity and capabilities of the TTP have been degraded by ongoing security operations are once again proved comprehensively wrong. The TTP retain the ability to mount complex and deadly operations and enjoy covert support logistically and ideologically from a significant section of the population. Neither this nor any other government has been able — or even willing — to develop a non-violent narrative that counters the siren song of all terrorist groups, and not just the TTP. Until that is done, our places of worship are forever going to be splattered with blood.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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