Pakistan has seen a dramatic improvement in security in the past two years, but there have been multiple attacks this week.
February 10, 2017
0800 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: IED blast
Target of Attack: School Van
Location: Arang Tehsil, Bajaur Agency
Fatality: 1
Injured: 4
Terrorist involved: Unknown
February 12, 2017
1300 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: IED blast
Target of Attack: Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel
Location: Toikhola village, South Waziristan
Fatalities: 3 FC soldiers
Terrorists involved: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
February 13, 2017
1830 hours
Nature of Attack: Suicide blast
Location: outside the gates of Punjab’s Provincial Assembly on Lahore’s Charing Cross interchange.
Fatalities: 13 including 7 police officers
Injured: 85
Terrorist involved: Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
2150 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: Explosion during bomb disposal
Location: Sariab road, Quetta.
Fatalities: 3 including 2 police officers
Injured: 11
Terrorists involved: no terror outfit has claimed responsibility
February 15, 2017
0900 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: Suicide Attack
Terrorists Killed: 2
Location: Mohmand Agency Head Quarters gate, Ghalanai.
Fatalities: 5 including 3 Khasadar personnel
Terrorist involved: Jamat-ul-Ahrar
1430 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: Suicide blast
Target of Attack: Government Vehicle transporting civil judges
Location: Phase 5, Hayatabad, Peshawar
Fatalities: 2
Injured: 5
Terrorists Involved: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
February 16, 2017
1630 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: IED blast
Target of Attack: Military convoy
Location: Awaran, Balochistan
Fatalities: 3 Army personnel
Injured: 2
Terrorists involved: no terror outfit has claimed responsibility
1900 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: Suicide blast
Target of Attack: Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar
Location: Sehwan, Sindh
Fatalities: 72
Injured: 150
Terrorists involved: Islamic State (ISIS)
2130 hours (approx.)
Nature of Attack: Shooting
Target of Attack: Police Vehicle
Location: Mission roundabout, Dera Ismail Khan
Fatalities: 5 including 4 policemen
Terrorists involved: no terror outfit has claimed responsibility
A nationwide security crackdown has been launched after the recent surge in terrorist attacks.Sindh Rangers claimed to have killed 18 terrorists overnight in different areas of Karachi. While police in Peshawar said seven terrorists had been killed in intelligence-based operations.
Seven terrorists were killed in a shootout with Rangers after they attacked a convoy of the paramilitary troops on the Super Highway near Kathor, Sindh. A convoy of Rangers was returning from Sehwan after taking part in rescue operations. A Rangers spokesperson said a soldier was injured in the exchange of fire. According to Rangers, 11 more terrorists were killed in a raid carried out in Manghopir area of Karachi. During the operation arms and ammunition were also seized from the possession of terrorists.
In Peshawar, police and security forces launched an operation on the basis of intelligence reports. “The terrorists tried to flee in a car but they were intercepted and three of them were killed in the exchange of fire,” the official said. Search for their accomplices is underway, he added.
Earlier, Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab police raided a militant hideout in Multan and killed 6 members of the proscribed Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JA). Four suspects managed to flee, under the cover of darkness, during the operation which was conducted In Chak 10-R 98 area of the district. The operation was carried out on a tip-off regarding presence of militants in the area.
On the other hand, Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings at Torkham and Chaman have been closed for all sorts of traffic to stop entry of terrorists from Afghanistan. Several banned terrorist organizations, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, are based in Afghanistan, and they have been carrying subversive activities in Pakistan from there.
Security forces have increased patrolling, surveillance and checking on check posts along the Pak-Afghan border.
Furthermore, Pakistan has summoned officials of the Afghan embassy to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The protest has been lodged with Afghan officials against the use of Afghan soil by terrorists to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The Afghan officials were handed over a list of 76 “most wanted” terrorists by the Pakistan Army. Afghanistan was asked to either take “immediate action” against the named terrorists or hand them over to Pakistan.
The move comes two days after a senior Afghan diplomat was summoned to the Foreign Office in Islamabad to receive protest over the use of territory of his country for launching terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
DG ISPR Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet, “Recent terrorist acts are being executed on directions from hostile powers and from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. We shall defend and respond.”
“Each drop of the nation’s blood shall be revenged and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone” vowed COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
