- Terrorist attempt to ambush a checkpost in Peshawar foiled.
- Senior officer Waqas Rafiq says KP Police is on “high alert”.
- More than 650 terrorist incidents took place in the current year.
Peshawar: The fourth terrorist attack in the last 48 hours rocked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as authorities foiled another terrorist attack on a checkpost in the provincial capital Peshawar on Thursday.
Ever since the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) ended its ceasefire with Islamabad late last year, the province has seen a rise in terrorist attacks – from improvised explosive device blasts to suicide bombings.
In the latest late-night attack, eight terrorists had to flee for their lives when police personnel retaliated when they tried to attack Riyaz Shaheed police post in Sarband area of Peshawar.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantt Waqas Rafiq said that as a result of the police being on “high alert”, the police were able to foil the attack as the terrorists tried to target the checkpost at night.
This was not the only attempt by the terrorists. The checkpost was attacked on 7 June. Thursday’s attack on the police post was the 665th terrorist attack this year.
The latest attack came hours after suicide bombers targeted a compound in Khyber district’s Bara Bazar, killing four policemen and 10 others – including police officers and civilians.
Police officials said police intercepted the two suicide bombers at the entrance of the police station and tehsil headquarters complex adjacent to the Bara market – which houses the Bara police station, government offices and a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) cell.
The KP police faced another attack ahead of the Bara ambush, when two policemen were killed and two others were injured in a firing incident in Peshawar’s Regi area.
Unidentified armed men opened fire on police at the entry point near Reggie Model Town police station and fled, police said. The martyred soldiers were identified as head constable Wajid and driver Farman.
Earlier on July 18, there was a suicide blast near the vehicle of security forces in Hayatabad area of Peshawar. At least 10 people, including seven law enforcers, were injured in the blast.
In the wake of rising militancy, the Pakistan government has warned Afghanistan against providing safe haven to the banned TTP, a terrorist outfit that has been targeting security forces.
Top Pakistani army officials have recently said that the safe haven and freedom of action available to terrorists of the banned TTP and other similar groups in Afghanistan is one of the major factors affecting Pakistan’s security.
Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks after the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and called on the interim rulers to take decisive action against terrorists including the TTP responsible for cross-border attacks.
A statistical report released by independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed that terrorist activities in the country have increased by 79% during the first half of 2023.
KP’s Interim Information Minister Firoz Jamal said Geo News’ The morning show noted that the police are equipped to deal with increasing terrorist activities, but also noted that the actions of the Afghan government could help prevent terrorism.
“If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be peace in Pakistan as well. Anyone involved in cross-border terrorism must be dealt with.” [in Afghanistan]said the information minister.
