After analysing the overall law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the outgoing year, the Police department has declared South and North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu Districts as terrorist trouble spots, reports Dawn on December 24. “Southern districts, including North and South Waziristan [from among the newly-merged tribal districts] as well as Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts [from settled areas], are trouble spots,” Additional Inspector General of Police (ADGP), operations, Mohammad Ali Babakhel told reporters in Peshawar on December 23. Babakhel said that the annual analysis of the security situation revealed a surge in the number of extortion calls from Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover of Pakistan’s Western neighbouring country. He also said that the number of targeted attacks against Police increased in 2022 compared with the previous year. Official says most extortion calls made from Afghanistan. The ADGP said that the number of suicide attacks in the province also escalated in the outgoing year, while most of the extortion calls received by the local residents were made from Afghanistan. Babakhel said that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested 158 extortionists wanted in 81 cases, while 62 suspects were taken into custody for kidnapping people for ransom. He further said that the CTD arrested 806 militants, including 90 with head money, and killed 196 militants during operations in the province.