A significant decline of 79 percent in major terrorist attacks was witnessed across Pakistan in 2019 with 53 terror attacks compared to 67 in 2018.
Data compiled by various independent think tanks and analyzed by Business Recorder revealed that there was also a 32 percent reduction in overall fatalities during 2019 compared to the year before with 172 dead - 97 civilians and 75 security forces personnel.In 2018 there were 534 fatalities - 369 civilians and 165 security personnel, data further revealed.
Out of the total 53, major terror incidents, eight were suicide attacks while the number of suicide attacks in 2018 was 19, showing a 42 percent decrease.
The improvement in security situation, according to security sources, is largely due to the strict monitoring and fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that has resulted in reduction of cross border infiltration of terrorists. More than 1,250 kilometres out of the planned 2611 kilometers of Pakistan-Afghan border fence has been completed while the remaining 1,361km will be completed within next year.
Intelligence based operations under Radd-ul-Fasaad are continuing across the country due to which the sleeping cells of terrorists are being targeted.
However, the sources pointed out that terrorists' continue to attack security forces randomly from across the border that has resulted in loss of lives of security personnel deployed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Talking to Business Recorder, senior defence analyst Lt-Gen Talat Masood (retd) said that there is no doubt the incidents of terrorism have declined significantly, yet the situation in the newly merged tribal districts and Balochistan are still not satisfactory with respect to law and order situation.
He pointed out that Pakistan's law and order situation greatly depends on security situation in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran need to coordinate their efforts for complete eradication of terrorism and deny any space to the miscreants in their respective territories.However while terror attacks have declined significantly across our Western borders the threat from our Eastern neighbour India has escalated, he said adding that the situation on our Eastern border along India is volatile with increasing incidents of ceasefire violations by Indian security forces."The increasing LoC violations pose a serious threat not only to the security of Pakistan, but also to the entire region, which is a source of serious concern", he added.
Comments
Comments are closed.