ISLAMABAD: The remnants and sympathizers of terror groups based in Afghanistan are believed to be behind the latest terror attacks in Pakistan, with a total of 15 attacks during the current month and 24 in September.
Talking to Business Recorder, security sources and defence analysts said that these remnants together with facilitators of anti-Pakistan elements and terror outfits in Afghanistan are conducting these attacks in coordination with their handlers across the border.
According to data complied by this newspaper from various independent sources and think-tanks, in September and October an increased trend of terror incidents was witnessed with 99 fatalities, including personnel of security forces.
In October so far, the terrorists carried out 15 attacks in difference parts of the country, prominently the October 27 Peshawar seminary attack killing 8 students and injuring 83 others, killing of 20 security personnel in two different incidents in North Waziristan and Balochistan’s Ormara area on October 15, and October 25 bomb blast in Quetta, the day Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was holding its anti-government rally, killing three and injuring seven.
In September, according to the data, a total of 24 terror attacks were carried out in different parts of the country, with 50 fatalities including security forces personnel.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), the country’s counterterrorism authority through a threats’ alert issued on October 22, warned that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in connivance with hostile international agencies (HIAs), plans to carry out large scale terrorist activities in Quetta and Peshawar, targeting political and religious leadership.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Peshawar seminary bombing. Through a statement, Mohammad Khorasai, a spokesperson for the outlawed TTP condemned the incident and distanced itself from the Peshawar seminary attack.
Sources told BR that terrorists continue to launch attacks from across the border by targeting the security forces as well as civilian population in the tribal belt, an issue that has been taken up with the Afghan government at the highest level.
The latest spate in terror incidents, according to sources, was because of the frustration of anti-state elements across the border unable to infiltrate from across Afghanistan due to strict security measures on Pakistan-Afghan border, and instead have resorted to attacking soft targets such the Peshawar seminary through their sympathizers and sleeping cells.
Pakistan has fenced nearly 1,700km of the total 2,600km Pakistan-Afghan border to stop terrorists’ infiltration. The border management strategy includes border terminals, scanners, biometric system, border posts, forts and fencing.
The sources said that nearly 1,000 km border with Iran in Balochistan is also being fenced with a view to preventing terrorist elements, smugglers and drug traffickers from crossing the border.
According to Brig Mahmood Shah (retd), a security analyst, the border fencing has significantly blocked the terrorists’ infiltration from Afghanistan.
However, he added that the anti-state elements present in Afghanistan are in contact with their facilitators and sympathizers inside Pakistan who could be behind the latest incidents of terrorism.
After fencing the border, he said that suicide bombings have almost come to an end, but the elements through their handlers in Afghanistan have resorted to attacking soft targets through remote control devices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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