Terrorist attacks in KP reduced by 43pc, says official

‘Bomb blasts reduced by 50pc, target killings by 31pc’

PESHAWAR: The overall terrorist attacks during the first four months of the current year have reduced by 43 per cent as compared to the same period last year, revealed the statistics of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police on Friday.

The statistics showed the attacks were reduced by almost 80 percent if compared with 2014 and even by more than 90 percent as compared to 2009 and 2010. “A total of 11 improvised explosive device (IEDs) blast were reported in the province during the first four months of the current year against 22 during the same period in 2016, 37 in 2015 and 102 in 2014,” Deputy Inspector General of the CTD Mubarak Zeb told The News.

There was not a single missile or rocket attack or any car bomb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the current year. The report said that four hand grenade attacks were so far reported while the number was 11 last year, 14 in 2015 and 27 in 2014.

“The terrorism related firing incidents have been reduced by 31 percent as 24 such incidents were reported so far against 35 attacks last year. The number of such attacks during the first four months was 31 in 2015 and 47 in 2014,” he added.

He said that last year remained the most peaceful in terms of terrorist attacks that reduced to a great extent due to military operations and actions by police and CTD.

“The current year is even more peaceful than 2016 due to the efforts by the CTD throughout the province,” Mubarak Zeb added. The CTD officials on Friday gave a detailed briefing to the IGP Salah-ud-din Khan Mehsud about the operations and the progress of the department against terrorists, kidnappers and extortionists.

The IGP directed the CTD officials to further accelerate their actions in Peshawar and other districts of the province so that terrorists cannot regroup in any part. He appreciated the efforts and sacrifices rendered by the regular police and the CTD for improving the overall law and order situation.

The IGP was informed that apart from going after the terrorists, the CTD has made a good progress in kidnapping and extortion cases and other heinous crimes.

The CTD, along with the local police, is also working in the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan lynching incident in which one student Mashal Khan was killed by students and employees for alleged blasphemy.

The police have arrested 48 of the 49 identified accused in the incident, with only one local councilor still at large. A similar incident in Chitral a few days after the Mashal episode, however, was dealt well before it could take an ugly turn.  Except one, all of the accused in the both the cases have been arrested.