Terrorists activities in Fata increased by 72 percent in 2107:FRC

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada

FATA(Pakistan):  Fata Research Centre(FRC) on Wednesday issued a researched based report in which they said that terrorist related violence in Fata has been increased by 72 percent in the first quarter of 2017.

A Pakistani research based organization Fata Research Centre has issued its report in which it said that as compared to the last quarter of 2016, the number of terrorism  related incidents in Fata had been increased in the past few months of 2017.  According FRC 69 violent incidents took place during the last quarter from October to December 2016, while 119 such incidents were recorded in the first quarter January–March2017. Out of these 119 incidents, 57 were terrorist attacks while 62 were related to various counter terrorism actions by the law enforcement agencies.

Similarly, the report said that 54 percent of the terrorist attacks were aimed to target civilians and other laymen. However, 42 percent of the attacks were carried out against the security forces in various parts of Fata. Four percent of the terrorist attacks targeted members of Amn Lashkars volunteers in the region.

The FRC report said that around 491 casualties were reported during the first quarter of 2017 in which 281 people have lost their lives while more than 210 had been injured. It was observed that 50 percent of the total casualties during the first quarter of 2017 were civilians. It is also suggested that terrorists have received 37 percent casualties in actions taken by security forces against terrorists. The report said that security forces also suffered 11 percent of the casualties in the past few months.

FRC report declared that Kurram Agency was the worst place in Fata which remained violent where 212 casualties happened in which 69 people were killed while 143 injured.

  Khyber Agency, where military operations are going on, was on the second number in the violent place with 119 casualties. While Mohamand Agency remained on 3rd with 48 killed and 18 injured.

Bajaur and South Waziristan Agency were also remained disturbed during the first quarter of 2017 with 13  and 17 killed and 19 and six Injured respectively.

 North Waziristan Agency witnessed a calmer period as compare to the rest of the Fata region

The report  suggest.

FRC mentioned in its reports that Mahsud Taliban and Jamat-ul-Ahrar of TTP remained the dominant terrorist groups during the first quarter 2017. It said that Improvised Explosive Device (IED) were used in most of the terrorists attacks carried out in Fata. According to the report, 27 IED attacks, 15 incidents of target killings, 10 ambushes, three cross border attacks and two suicide blasts occurred during the first quarter of 2017.

Irfanuddin, Security Analyst at Fata Research Centre said that the surge in violent incidents and resultant casualties in Fata shows that the terrorist outfits are regaining their operational capacity for carrying out their activities across Fata.

“Although terrorist networks have been largely dismantled in recent military operations in Fata, however, the regrouping of Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan and the reunion of Khan Said group of Mahsud Taliban with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are the two major factors which have allowed Taliban to surge terrorist activities in Fata and rest of the country”, said  Irfan

He said terrorists belonging to Khan Said Group and Jamat-ul-Ahrar were already conducting terrorist activities in various areas of Fata. However, Taliban reunion had allowed them to carry out coordinated and large scale attacks not only inside Fata and in  the rest of the country, Irfanuddin said.