Peshawar – Pakistan is also confronting a serious security menace, with government officials in Peshawar exposing the existence of more than 8000 Fitna-ul-Khawarij terrorists within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Senior officials have confirmed that these militants have infiltrated from Afghanistan, blending into the local population to carry out attacks on security forces and civilians.
Terrorists are said to have entered Pakistan using unidentified and porous crossings at the border. They currently operate in many areas such as Peshawar, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Shangla, and the new tribal districts.
Officials have also estimated over 800 terrorists in the Bajaur and Khyber tribal areas alone, emphasizing a dense concentration in these border areas.
Security Forces Face Challenges and Casualties
The militants are said to attack individuals and establish unlawful checkpoints along major transport lanes, including parts of the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) road and the road connecting Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Tank.
This strategy of roadblocking presents a two-fold risk: it both destabilizes the economic process and gives the militants an advantage to dominate and intimidate the locals.
One of the biggest challenges law enforcement faces is the strategy of the militants to hide in civilian population centers. This complicates any retaliation efforts on the part of the security forces without risking collateral damage.
The statement made by the officials confirms that the security forces have already suffered casualties fighting these groups, which highlights that operations are risky.
This has compelled the tribal elders to air their grievances in the form of jirgas (traditional councils) under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to seek the provincial government to deal directly with the Afghan government on the matter.
Law Enforcement Vows to Intensify Operations
Law enforcement agencies have stepped up their counter-terrorism operations in reaction to the alarming report. IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed admitted that there exists a group of Fitna-ul-Khawarij and they are operating, and security forces are doing their best to curb the menace.
He claimed that security agencies have carried out 190 missions in the last month, in which 39 terrorists have been killed, 110 others arrested.
In recent weeks, security forces in North Waziristan and Bajaur have killed 80 terrorists who had infiltrated from Afghanistan.
The IG also confirmed that the roadblocks that the militants have established have been put under strict notice. In reaction, joint day and night patrols have been launched along the CPEC route in cooperation with the Motorway Police to guarantee the security of the corridor and prevent the recurrence of militant acts.
Barrister Saif, the Adviser to Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, echoed these sentiments, confirming that the terrorists are indeed entering from Afghanistan.
