After train hijack, Pakistan suffers over half a dozen militant attacks

Pakistan has been rocked by a series of militant attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leaving two soldiers dead and several security personnel and civilians injured. The series of attacks come shortly after a passenger train was hijacked in the restive Balochistan province, which resulted in the killing of 31, including soldiers, railway staff, and civilians.

 

On Saturday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, stated that security forces conducted two counterterrorism operations in Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan, killing nine militants.

 

In Mohmand, Pakistani soldiers conducted an intelligence-based operation and killed seven militants. However, two soldiers were also killed during the exchange of fire. The second encounter in Dera Ismail Khan saw security forces killing two more militants.  

 

Police stations under attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

 

Even as security forces targeted militants in counterterrorism operations, militant groups launched a wave of attacks across Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Bajaur districts. Over half a dozen coordinated attacks on police stations were reported. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for all these attacks, reported Dawn.

 

On Saturday morning, militants attacked a police post in Abbasa Khattak, Kurrum Par belt, using heavy weapons in an attempt to seize the facility. The attack was repelled by police reinforcements and armed villagers who joined the security forces.

 

A separate attack involved an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion targeting a police vehicle near Wanda Begu Khan. The driver was injured, with some reports suggesting three policemen sustained wounds.  Also Read | 'Focus inward, not blame': India rejects Pak claim on Jaffar Express attack

 

Militants also launched midnight attacks on the Dadiwala and Dara Pezu police stations, using automatic weapons. In Bannu, militants stormed two police stations and a police post on Friday night. They lobbed hand grenades at Ghoriwala police station and a police post in Khujari, while another group fired on Bakkakhel police station.

 

In Khujari, armed local residents aided the police, forcing the militants to retreat. Security forces have since launched search operations to track down the attackers.

 

In Bajaur, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of a police officer in Inayat Kallay bazaar, injuring him and three civilians. The attack occurred just before Iftar, minutes after the officer arrived in the area to oversee security.

 

Peshawar blast kills militant leader

 

In Peshawar, Mufti Shakir, the founder of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), was killed in an explosion outside his seminary in Urmar. Shakir had previously been expelled from Khyber and Hangu districts due to his extremist activities but had recently resurfaced in the region.

 

Jaffar Express hijacking

 

These attacks come in the aftermath of the Jaffar Express train hijacking in Balochistan on March 11, where members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) sabotaged the railway track, forcing the train to halt within a tunnel. They subsequently took nearly 450 passengers hostage, using women and children as human shields. 

 

Pakistani security forces launched a counter operation, in which it killed all BLA militants rescued the hostages. However, the incident resulted in the deaths of 21 hostages, including civilians and security personnel.

 

It must be noted that BLA and TTP are different militant groups fighting for different causes. While the BLA seeks independence for Balochistan, the TTP is considered an ally of the Afghan Taliban and has intensified its operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in 2021. 

A report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) documented a sharp rise in terrorist attacks last month, with 79 incidents leading to the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel. Security forces have intensified counterterrorism efforts, eliminating 156 terrorists and arresting 66 suspects.

  (With inputs from agencies)