The success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb (ZeA) has forced terrorist outfits to shift focus from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) towards the urban centers of Punjab and Sindh, says a report issued by a terrorism-monitoring think-tank.
A monthly monitoring report of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), available with Pakistan Today for the month of July, reflects shows that militant attacks have once again dropped in July across the country after a slight increase in June 2016.
The report shows that more than 80 per cent of the militant deaths took place in Punjab and Sindh which shows the changed focus in the urban areas of the country after clearing FATA. The situation in FATA is relatively under control as security forces had to conduct only two operations during the month in FATA while militants carried out seven violent activities of minor nature in the tribal belt.
The report shows that 35 people including 14 security forces personnel, eight pro-government peace committee members, 9 civilians and four militants were killed in 42 militant attacks during July, while 93 people including 62 civilians and 31 security forces personnel were injured during the month. The security forces eliminated 37 militants and arrested 131 suspects from across the country.
Pakistan launched a combing operation in the mainland in May this year to root out remaining urban networks of the militants, the report said. As many as 18 militants were killed in Punjab and 12 in Sindh while six militants were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Balochistan. No militant fatality was reported in FATA during the month.
Security forces conducted the highest number of actions in Balochistan but they were more focused on arrests in intelligence based operations. Among 131 arrests 85 were reported from Balochistan. Major encounters were reported from Okara, Sheikhupura (both central Punjab districts) and Rajanpur (South Punjab). Eighteen militants were killed in the three encounters. Security forces actions were reported mostly from central Punjab districts such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Okara, Sargodha and Toba Tek Singh while only two actions were reported from Southern Punjab (Rajanpur and Multan). Militants killed in Punjab belonged to al Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while arrests have been made in connection with Daesh or the so-called Islamic State from at least three places.
One Indian spy working for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was also arrested from Gakhar Mandi area of Gujranwala. Special focus of security forces on Punjab indicates heavy presence of militants in the province but due to pressure of the ongoing combing operation, the militants could not carry out any attack during the month.
Highest number of deaths and injuries in militant attacks were reported from KP where 15 people were killed and 37 injured in 16 attacks. Balochistan saw 14 militant attacks in which eight people were killed and 23 were injured, FATA witnessed seven attacks in which seven people were killed and 9 injured while five people were killed and 24 injured in five militant attacks in Sindh. No militant attack was reported from Islamabad, Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
There has been a significant reduction in high profile attacks in the country, though these still can’t be ruled out. Only two significant attacks were reported during the month, one was carried out in Batagram district where a police check post was attacked by the TTP; one policeman was killed and militants looted weapons and ammunition from the post. However, the police chased them and hunted down one of the most wanted commanders of TTP, Hafiz Nisar, who was the militant outfit’s operational head in northern districts of KP. The other significant attack was reported from Upper Dir where militants killed eight peace committee members in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast.
Target killing of lone security forces personnel has continued in July and one of the most significant attacks was carried out in Karachi where two Army personnel were killed by terrorists.