Punjab put on high alert amid surge in terror incidents

LAHORE: Against the backdrop of the recent spike in incidents of terrorism in the country, security across Punjab was put on high alert, a police spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.

The development came days after the terror attack on Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least five soldiers and 13 civilians were martyred while 16 militants were killed in the attack.

In addition to this, as many as 32 others sustained injuries as a result of destruction caused by suicide blasts during the clash.

Later, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir visited KP’s Bannu district and vowed to bring the planners and facilitators of the recent terrorist attack to justice “wherever they may be”.

In a similar development, hardcore Daesh commander Mohammad Sharifullah alias Jaffar, accused of 2021 attack on US troops at Kabul airport, was arrested by Pakistan on intelligence provided by America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The Daesh commander was later handed over to the US as a token of cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism.

The spokesperson of Punjab police said: “Intelligence-based search and sweep operations and exercises are underway [across the province].”

During the last 24 hours, 436 search and sweep operations were conducted, the spokesperson said, adding that 8 exercise were also conducted across Punjab.

As many as 123 suspects and 38 proclaimed offenders were arrested during the operations, police said, adding that two Kalashnikov rifles, 12 guns and a huge cache of ammunition were also recovered by law enforcers.

The country has been reeling under increased terrorist attacks targeting especially the law enforcers and security forces since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.

The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.

The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.

KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.

The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.