Aqeel Yousafzai
During the year 2023, Pakistan was subjected to severe attacks, in the initial months, which increased nearly by 60% as compared to 2022. Geographically, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first center of these attacks, while Balochistan was the second. Institutionally, security forces, especially the police, were the main target.
According to a reputable think tank, which presented data at the end of September 2023, this year has been the worst in terms of the number of attacks in the last decade. During the initial nine months, 1,087 people were killed. Among them, the number of martyrs from the police, army, CTD, and Rangers exceeded 700. Within these months, 386 police and other forces personnel were martyred, while the number of civilian and political workers killed was 334. Another report stated that during these nine months, forces conducted a record number of operations across various regions of Pakistan, resulting in the assassination of 370 terrorists and the arrest of around 120.
Another report indicated that during the third quarter of 2023, the number of attacks increased dangerously, with a nearly 57% increase recorded. These three months saw 1,445 people killed and 460 injured on both sides. For the first time, the proportion of civilian deaths in these attacks was 58%, while the proportion of forces’ casualties was 23%. Approximately 85% of the total attacks were carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting about 29 areas.
In September 2023, “Arab News” published a report stating that after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021 and provided facilities to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) besides releasing its captured members, Pakistan’s security forces came under increased attacks. According to the report, during this period, 386 personnel and officers of various security forces were killed in attacks, including 137 on the troops of the Pakistan Army.
Moreover, in September 2023, an important meeting of the Federal Apex Committee was held in Islamabad, where it was informed that 24 suicide attacks were carried out in Pakistan during the initial nine months of 2023. It was also reported that 11 of these attacks involved Afghan nationals. In this meeting, the Chief of Army Staff General Hafiz Syed Asim Munir clearly expressed his resolve to eliminate terrorism, the committee also criticized the interim government of Afghanistan for not cooperating on the TTP issue and reiterated the demand for necessary action. Additionally, it was decided to ensure the return of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan and set a deadline for the departure of approximately 2.1 million illegal Afghan refugees.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that the interim government of Afghanistan, under orders from the top leadership of the Emarat-e-Islamia, had arrested some TTP militants involved in the attack on Chitral on September 6, 2023. Initially, the number of arrested individuals was reported to be between 150 and 200, but the TTP sources stated this number to be between 30 and 40.
In September, there were also reports that the arrests of these prisoners not only caused differences between TTP and the interim government of Afghanistan but also created rifts between two important groups of TTP. It was said that distances had increased between the Mehsud group and the Khorasani group. These differences began after the killing of an important commander, Umar Khalid Khorasani, in Afghanistan. Umar Khalid Khorasani, along with other hardcore commanders, had established a group named Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in 2013, which was reintegrated into the mainstream TTP in 2021 following efforts by Mufti Noor Wali to unite various groups.
During the third quarter of 2023, the international community expressed strong reactions and concerns over the attacks in Pakistan. In September, when simultaneous attacks were carried out in Mastung, Hangu, and Zhob, international and regional powers reacted exceptionally. While a top US general blamed his government’s faulty withdrawal strategy in an interview, senior US official Thomas West repeatedly stated in his briefings and interviews that Pakistan faced severe threats from TTP attacks. He also mentioned several times that organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda posed a significant threat to Pakistan. In an interview on September 25, he stated that the TTP and the interim government of Afghanistan were on the same page regarding attacks on Pakistan and that the Afghan Taliban were supporting the TTP.