ISLAMABAD: Terror incidents have increased across the country with 300 fatalities – 96 civilians and 104 security forces personnel – in 51 major terror-related attacks since January 2022 till a 12-day ceasefire agreement was reached with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – 18 to 30 May, 2022 – under the auspices of the Afghan Taliban.
This data was compiled by Business Recorder from official and independent sources, as well as, media reports.
The ceasefire agreement was reached following the reported release of two TTP leaders including its former spokesman Muslim Khan and another senior member of the group Mahmood Khan.
The temporary ceasefire agreement was announced on the demand of a 32-member committee constituted by Pakistan consisting of elders of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan and a 16-member committee from Malakand division who held talks with the TTP on May 13 and 14 in Kabul.
In December 2021, the TTP ended a one-month ceasefire agreement following the government’s refusal to fulfil certain untenable demands of the group that included the release of 100 key TTP members.
Prior to May 18 temporary peace accord, a surge of terror attacks was witnessed across the country, launched by several outlawed militant outfits including the TTP, Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K) also known as Daesh-Khurasan and Baloch separatist organizations, prominently Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
A senior official of Interior Ministry told Business Recorder that the Baloch separatists have unexpectedly increased terror attacks lately. However, he added that the government has identified the network behind the latest spree and it would soon be dealt with.
According to the data, out of the total 51 incidents, seven took place in January, 14 in February, 13 each in March and April and four so far in May. The details of some major attacks are as follows:
On 12 May 2022, there was one fatality and 13 injured in a blast near Saddar area of Karachi, in an IED attached bike blast which was claimed by the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), a group allied with Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) – a militant outfit first made known publicly in 2010.
On May 15, at least six – three soldiers and three children –were killed in a suicide attack on a military vehicle in Miranshah, North Waziristan. The attack was believed to have been undertaken by the TTP, as no group has claimed responsibility for it.
On 16 May 2022, the terrorists again launched an attack in Karachi in which at least one died and more than 11 were injured in a blast that occurred in Bolton Market, which was claimed by the SRA.
On 19 May 2022, a blast occurred in the Killi-Paind area of Quetta, leaving at least one dead and seven injured. No group has far claimed responsibility for the attack.
On April 26, five including three Chinese nationals, their Pakistani driver and a security guard, were killed when a women suicide bomber blew herself up near a van transporting Chinese nationals from Karachi University hostel to Confucius Institute in Karachi. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.
In April this year 68 civilians and 29 law enforcement personnel lost their lives in 13 terror related incidents.
On March 4, a total of 57 worshippers lost their lives and 194 others were injured when a suicide attacker detonated himself inside a Shia mosque in the Koocha Risaldar area of Peshawar. Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility.
A total of 68 lost their lives in 13 major incidents during March of which one each was claimed by Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA), Daesh and BLA while no group claimed responsibility for the remaining attacks.
In February, a total of 14 terrorist attacks took place in various parts of the country in which some 40 people were killed including 27 security forces personnel. Of the total 13 attacks, three attacks were claimed by BLA, two each by the TTP and the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), and one by Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) while no group claimed responsibility for the remaining attacks.
During January 2021, a total of seven terror attacks were reported in which nine civilians and 16 security personnel lost their lives while nine terrorists were also killed.
On January 17 two terrorists and a policeman were killed in a firing incident in Sector G-8, Islamabad. According to police, unidentified assailants opened fire on police officials deployed on a check post in Sector G-8, leaving one policeman dead and two other policemen injured.
On January 20 three were killed and 33 others injured in a bomb explosion near Pan Mandi of New Anarkali Bazar area of Lahore, responsibility for which was claimed by the BNA.
On January 8, three were killed and three injured when unidentified assailants opened fire at the convoy of Nawabzada Baru Khan Barozai, brother of Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Barozai, the ex-interim chief minister of Balochistan, in the Loni Road area in Sibi.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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