An Overview
After lying low for whole winter Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) )—a conglomerate of anti-state tribal militant groups—reasserted itself by carrying out multiple coordinated attacks in major urban centers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), with easy access and accuracy.  Similarly security forces’ convoys and check posts were intensively hit in tribal areas throughout the reporting month as well. In Mohmand agency, near Pak-Afghan border, security forces completed a three-week long offensive and claimed of clearing more than 90 percent of area from militants’ presence. Moreover, owing to upsurge in terrorist attacks and deteriorating security situation in urban centers of KPK, provincial government has decided to launch a major crackdown against suspected militant hideouts in Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar and Michni areas. It was also decided to increase presence of police troops from 40,000 to 80,000.  After four years of seatrain strife—a cease fire agreement was signed between warring Sunni and Shia sects of Kurram agency which led to the reopening of Thall-Parachinar road.

In Balochistan security situation deteriorated in wake of increasing insurgent activities. The abduction of Jahl Magsi’s  deputy commissioner from the National Highway near Bolan district and attacks on convoy of Balcohistan’s chief secretary, secretary interior and Inspector General (IG) of police speaks volumes of Baloch insurgents’ growing influence. Moreover, Baloch insurgents intensified their attacks on infrastructure and government installations as well. Meanwhile Karachi’s security landscape was marred with sectarian strife, incidents of ethno- political violence as well as intermittent militant attacks. In interior Sindh, once again, there were reports of bomb blasts alongside railway tracks. Meanwhile in Punjab security situation remained peaceful with the exception of attacks on a sufi shrine in Lahore and two low intensity bomb blasts on two police stations in Gujranwala district.

In sum, the overall security situation of the country was volatile as 173 attacks claimed lives of 167 people and injured 258 others. Balochistan was the most volatile area of the country where 63 insurgent/terrorist attacks left 46 people dead and 44 others injured. Meanwhile KPK was the second worst affected area of Taliban militancy as 48 attacks killed 77 people and wounded 128 others. Whereas with 47 reported attacks that claimed lives of 38 people and injured 52 others, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) was the third most volatile area of the country. Meanwhile five attacks in Punjab killed three people and injured 30 others. Security situation in parts of interior Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad and Azad Kashmir remained peaceful. (See Chart 1) 

Chart 1: Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan in February 2011

If the casualties in terrorist attacks, operational attacks by the security forces and their clashes with the militants, inter-tribal clashes and cross border attacks throughout the country are counted collectively, the overall number of casualties reaches 397 killed and 380 injured. In 14 incidents of inter-tribal clashes 35 people were killed and 12 others were wounded; while 14 incidents of ethno-political violence claimed 23 lives and injured 20 others. This month seven border attacks and clashes —including three drone strikes-- killed 20 people and injured 15 others. (See Table 2)

If a comparison of last three months’ security landscape is carried out with this month’s security situation a steep downward trend is observable. The overall number of attacks and incidents of violence have declined from 301 to 232 due to; abrupt decline in U.S. drone strikes in Pak-Afghan border areas, reduction in suicide attacks as well as relatively less number of operational attacks carried out by the security forces against the militants. The number of casualty figure has also declined due to less number of militants killed in operational attacks of the security forces and drone strikes. (See Chart 3) 

Chart 3: Comparison with Six Months’ Figure

The maximum number of casualties was of the militants who have been killed in security forces’ operational attacks, their clashes with the security forces as well as drones strikes. The militants suffered 191 death casualties and 90 injuries. The second highest number of casualties is of the civilians with 130 life losses and 184 injuries mainly in terrorist attacks. In the terrorist attacks and their clashes with the militants the security forces lost 76 personnel; among them 11 FC, 17 police, 6 paramilitary, 2 levies force and 40 army personnel. Whereas 106 others including; 25 FC, 15 police, 3 paramilitary force, 61 army and five paramilitary force personnel were injured.  (See Table 4, 4a)

Table 4: Detail of Casualties February 2011

Table 4a: Distribution of Casualties February 2011 Type Killed Injured Civilian 130 184 Militants 191 90 FC 11 25 Police 17 15 Army 40 61 Paramilitary 6 5 Lvs 2 - Rng - - Total 397 380

Among a variety of tactics used by the militants the most commonly used tactic was of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with 55 reported incidents; while firing or direct shoot out was the second most commonly used tactic with 36 reported incidents. Similarly 21 incidents of rocket attacks, 13 landmine blasts and 10 incidents of target killings were also reported. (See Table 5)