Yet another terrorist attack has taken place in Balochistan province, which is already reeling under the effects of natural calamities in the form of recent floods caused by torrential rains. As reported, one person lost his life while ten others including a woman, were hurt in grenade and bomb attacks in Khuzdar and Noshki areas.

The first incident took place at Khuzdar's Azadi Chowk, when unidentified motorcyclists targeted a stall selling Pak flags for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations to be marked on Aug 14. That local-made hand grenade was used the attack implies that local terrorists mainly the Baloch nationalists are also part of the attack.  As the country is preparing for Independence Day, the terrorists are out to sabotage the occasion. It was the second attack of its kind on the flag stalls in the province during the current month. Last week, a man was killed and 14 others, including two children, were injured in a similar hand grenade attack on roadside stalls selling Pak flags and other decoration material for Independence Day at Joint Road Square near Raisani Road in Quetta.

Earlier, as many as persons six people got injured in a bomb blast in a roadside attack in Noshki Tehsil on Tuesday night. As admitted by Indian PM Modi on many an occasion that his government wants to destablise Pakistan through targeting the volatile Balochistan province, the attacks should be taken seriously by the security apparatus. In fact, India is openly funding and supporting these terrorists groups to sabotage peace in Pakistan. So it is time for great vigil on the Independence Day of Pakistan.

India has been financing terror in Pakistan and is opening funding the militant and terrorists organizations to create security issues in Pakistan. Overall, the country has witnessed increased number of attacks this year.

In the wake of ongoing terrorist attacks in Pakistan during the current year, there is an urgent need for beefing up security for the Independence Day celebrations, as terrorists will make attempts to sabotage the jubilations across the country. There is no denying that terrorists groups are present in Afghanistan which could be gauged from killing of high profile terrorists in drone attacks in Afghanistan and in wake of their presence in Afghanistan, the danger of attacks on Independence Day looms large in the wake of  continued attacks by the militants from across the Afghan border.

Though there has been marked decrease in such attacks in recent months as compared to first three months of the current year, but the terrorists are still active and resort to carrying out attacks in KP and Balochistan from time to time. On the average, three to four attacks took place in Pakistan every month which indicates that militants are still very much active.

The recent killing of the most-wanted Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike recently in Afghanistan, proves the presence of terrorists groups like the IS, the Al-Qaeda and other militants groups, who have not only regrouped themselves after the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan but are also involved in terrorists activities across the border in Pakistan. The ongoing terrorist attacks by terrorists, mainly in the KP's South Waziristan, North Waziristan and adjoining tribal areas along the Afghanistan border indicate that the terrorists are active against Pakistan.

Every now and then we hear of terrorists being killed in the country. Last week,  six terrorists were killed in military operation in  Kech, Balochistan province. Earlier, a most wanted TTP Terrorists were killed by security forces in  May  last during a fire exchange  between security forces and terrorists in Boya, North Waziristan tribal area. Last month, over a dozen terrorists were killed in different IBOs operations in exchange of fire between the security forces and the militants in KP's various districts mainly South and North Waziristan tribal belt. Earlier in on June 6,  Seven terrorists were killed in Bannu District of KP by Security forces in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

They were laced with modern weapons and ammunition which  were recovered from them after they were killed. Over the past few months, it has been noticed that the main target of the terrorists are the security forces and hundreds of Pakistani soldiers have been killed in terrorist attacks during the current year. From January to March this year,  As many as 97  Pak security personnel were martyred  in period less than 3 months in terror attacks by militants along Afghanistan border' in KP and Balochistan areas which are near the Afghan border areas.

And the current year's most gruesome attack took place in Peshawar when a suicide bombing inside a mosque in Kucha Risaldar, killed and injured around 200 worshipers who had gathered for Friday prayers. The IS Khorasan Chapter which is present in Afghanistan was involved in the Peshawar attack accepted responsibility for this horrifying attack.

The same month, the commander of this militant Islamic State group's Khorasan chapter (IS-K) namely Hasan Shah, who was mastermind of this horrifying suicide attack was killed in an intelligence-based operation by the Counter-Terrorism Department. The mastermind of Peshawar mosque attack was reportedly a member of the outlawed TTP, but had later left the TTP and switched over to the IS-K. In March this year, as many as  three militants of the IS-Khorasan chapter were killed in an exchange of fire with the security personnel during an Intelligence Based Operation in Jamrud District of KPK.

 As a matter of fact, these terrorists infiltrate into to Pakistan through Afghan border under the disguise of Afghan refugees and according to a recent report by the UN, the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan which comprises up to 5,000 militant fighters is present in Afghanistan. This was disclosed in a report, sent to the UN SC in February last, and it had also warned that after the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, the Afghan soil can become a safe haven for terrorists groups like the Al Qaeda , the IS, etc.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 12 2022

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