Pakistan: 8 suspected members of TTP, IS killed in Balochistan

Islamabad [Pakistan]: At least eight members of the banned Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and IS outfits have been killed in two operations conducted in Balochistan’s Quetta and Washuk districts on Saturday, Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed, Dawn reported.

During the operation, the CTD officials recovered a kidnapped person from the militants’ hideout. The man kidnapped a month ago, was kept in a room with his hands and feet tied with an iron chain, Dawn reported on Sunday.

The CTD spokesperson also found arms and ammunition on the site, including submachine guns, hand grenades, 9mm pistols, detonating cords and explosives. A case had been registered and an investigation was in progress, reported Dawn citing a spokesperson.

Since the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) ceasefire with the government ended last November, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist activity, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

In the month of August only, Pakistan witnessed a sharp 83 per cent rise in terror attacks, Geo News cited a report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The month of August saw a significant surge in terrorist attacks around the country, with 99 terror occurrences registered thus far. This is the greatest number recorded in a single month since November 2014, according to the data.

The data stated a sharp 83 per cent rise in August when compared with July, as the month saw 54 attacks. The PICSS report also mentioned four suicide attacks, three in tribal districts of KP and one in the mainland of the province.

However, the data doesn’t reveal how many of them are attacks from the banned outfit, TTP but still, Pakistan is witnessing several attacks on civilians as well as on officials.

The month of July, meanwhile, witnessed five suicide attacks, the highest in a year. Overall, the country witnessed 22 suicide attacks in the first eight months of 2023, in which 227 people have been killed and 497 injured.

The PICSS data also shows that security forces responded effectively to the militant threat, averting many attacks killing at least 24 militants, and arresting 69 others in various operations across the country, Geo News reported.

According to the report, the most hit regions by terrorist activity in August were Balochistan and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).