ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (NNI): The Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday over 200 militants had been killed in nearly 8,000 intelligence-based operations between January and October this year.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces have both been racked by militant attacks in recent months. The assaults in KP, Islamabad says, are mostly carried out by Afghan nationals and their facilitators, or by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups who cross over into Pakistan using safe haven in Afghanistan.
The remote Balochistan region has also seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year. The province is home to key Chinese Belt and Road projects.
“206 terrorists were killed in 7984 intelligence-based operations till October this year,” the Interior Ministry said in a readout of a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Commenting on the rise in militancy in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Naqvi said the professional capabilities of the provincial counterterrorism departments as well as police and paramilitary Frontier Constabulary would be enhanced.
“Everyone has to work together to improve the law-and-order situation,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. “Along with increasing capacity, the police of all provinces should be equipped with modern technology … needs of law enforcement agencies must be fulfilled on a priority basis.” NNI
