North Waziristan worst-hit by terrorism

PESHAWAR: Terror has severely struck North Waziristan district in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last many months with incidents happening almost daily in different parts of the district.

An official said that 119 terrorist incidents have been reported in the district in the last 14 months, including 17 in the first two months of the current year while 102 were witnessed in 2022.

A total of 615 threats were reported in North Waziristan in 2022 and another 105 came in the first two months of the current year.

As many as 495 terror incidents were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2022 while 82 have been registered during the months of January and February this year.

Among the districts that have witnessed more attacks after North Waziristan include Dera Ismail

Khan, Peshawar and Lakki Marwat.

The source said 14 incidents have been registered in DI Khan, 12 in Lakki Marwat, eight in Peshawar and seven in Bannu during the first two months of 2023.

Last year, 56 incidents were reported in DI Khan, 47 in Peshawar, 42 in Bajaur and 35 in Lakki Marwat.

In Peshawar, mostly the Saddar division remained under attack in the past many months. There have been innumerable attacks on police stations and police posts across the province in the area since mid 2021.

The towns on the outskirts of Peshawar also faced the worst law and order during the previous wave of terrorism over a decade back.

For the last many months, attackers have been hurling grenades and using automatic weapons to target the police force in Peshawar before escaping towards Khyber. In many attacks in the provincial capital as well as other parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the cops were also targetted during midnight with guns mounted with night vision thermal scopes.

A deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Sardar Hussain, was martyred along with two of his gunmen when they rushed towards the Sarband Police Station after a midnight grenade attack on its building a few weeks back.

“Our cops have fought bravely throughout and repulsed many attacks on police stations and posts. The vulnerable posts and establishments have been further strengthened after the visit of the provincial police chief,” said Superintendent of Police, Saddar, Malik Habib Khan.

Apart from police stations, posts and patrolling cars, the offices of SP Saddar, SP Rural and DSP Badaber have come under grenade attacks in the past months.

The cops need more manpower support, bullet-proof jackets, helmets and vehicles, night vision devices, effective protection against night thermal scope guns, as well as intelligence support.

Besides, all the officers and junior cops deployed in troubled areas of Peshawar as well as all the districts of the province need to be provided additional financial benefits as risk allowance for risking their lives during posting in these areas.

Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan said that more focus was being given to the police force in the merged districts and southern towns where more attacks were reported. He added that Counter-Terrorism Department has been re-organized across the province especially in the vulnerable towns to improve law and order and go after the terrorists.