Terror offenses decline in Fata last year: report

Terrorist attacks in Fata have seen a slight downward trend in 2016 compared to the previous year. A report published by the Fata Research Centre in Islamabad reveals that 130 militant attacks were recorded in 2016, compared to 146 in 2015. Similarly, 881 casualties were recorded during 2016 which is a significant decline, compared to 2,240 casualties in 2015. While overall terrorist incidents declined by 11 percent, there was a 60 percent decline in total number of casualties in 2016.
According to the report, 52 incidents of militant attacks on civilians, 56 militant attacks on military, 17 cross border attacks by militants on civilians and military while five militant attacks on peace Lashkar have been recorded in the year 2016. The report further states, "A total of 84 counter terrorism incidents including 64 search operations, 18 aerial strikes and two drone strikes were carried out by the Pakistani security forces during 2016 to counter terrorism."
Among the total casualties that occurred in Fata during the year 2016, militants' casualties comprised 52 percent of the total casualties, while civilian and military casualties were recorded as 27 percent and 19 percent respectively. The highest numbers of casualties were reported from North Waziristan Agency (23 percent), followed by the Mohmand and Khyber Agencies respectively. The Orakzai Agency remained largely peaceful compared to other agencies of FATA, with two terrorist attacks reported in 2016.
Irfan U Din, Research Analyst at Fata Research Centre when contacted stated that continuous decline in militancy incidents showed the effectiveness of ongoing military operations in Fata.
"It shows that majority of the militant networks in Fata have been dismantled although few groups are still operating in pockets along the Pak-Afghan border," said Irfan.
"Amid the increasing control of Afghan Taliban inside Afghanistan, the regrouping of Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan poses serious threat to already fragile state of security situation in Fata," added Irfan U Din.