Balochistan: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2019

Four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed during an exchange of fire with militants trying to storm the residential and administration compound inside a FC training centre in Loralai District of Balochistan on January 1, reports Dawn. Four militants were killed in the clearance operation undertaken by FC personnel following the attack. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the FC personnel challenged the terrorists at the entry point of the "residential/administration compound of the training centre" and foiled their attempt to enter the facility. Having failed to enter the residential compound, the terrorists reportedly opened indiscriminate fire and entered a compound adjacent to the checkpost which was immediately cordoned off by FC. The exchange of fire at the checkpost left four FC personnel martyred and two others injured. The killed FC personnel were identified as Subedar Major Munawar, Havildar Iqbal Khan, Havildar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab. Read less...

The year 2018 saw a remarkable reduction of 45pc in militant attacks in Pakistan, Dawn reported on January 2 quoting a study conducted by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The PICSS study showed that the security situation significantly improved in the year as the number of attacks, resultant deaths as well as injuries declined by 45pc, 37pc and 49pc, respectively, compared to 2017. The number of suicide attacks also declined. According to a press release, militants carried out 229 attacks in different provinces in which 577 people were killed - 356 civilians, 152 security forces personnel and 67 militants. Besides, 959 people were injured, including 693 civilians and 261 security personnel. But the ratio of security forces’ casualties per attack significantly increased in 2018 compared to 2017. A consistent decline in militant attacks was noticed since the launch of Operation Zarb-i-Azb (‘Sword of the Prophet’, also ‘sharp and cutting’) in June 2014. The average militant attacks per month declined from 35 in 2017 to 19 in 2018. In 2014, it was 134 which dropped to 59 in 2015 and 42 in 2016. Average militant attacks per month decreased from 35 in 2017 to 19 in 2018, report says. Balochistan remained the most troubled province where the highest number of militant attacks (99), highest number of deaths (354) and highest number of injured (570) were recorded. Of the total attacks in the country, 61pc of the deaths and 59pc of the injuries took place in Balochistan. The second highest number of attacks (65) was recorded in the erstwhile FATA in which 107 people were killed and 150 injured. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 40 attacks were recorded in which 72 people were killed and 174 injured. As many as 14 attacks were reported from Sindh in which 21 people were killed and 20 injured. Punjab saw six militant attacks in which 18 people were killed and 42 injured. More footprints of the militants were observed in Gilgit-Baltistan than the previous years as four militant attacks were recorded in the area during the year in which five people were killed and three injured. At least 12 schools, mostly of girls, were destroyed in a single night in the Diamer District. In 2017, 23 suicide attacks had been recorded in the country. However, the number declined to 18 in 2018 in which 267 people were killed and 460 injured. Read less...

The Frontier Corps(FC) on January 4 foiled sabotage attempt of militant by recovering weapons and ammunition during a search operation in Kahan near Mawand areas of Qilla Saifullah District in Balochistan, reports The Nation. Read less...

At least 10 persons, including Naib Tehsildar Abdul Malik Tareen and two Levies personnel, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Pishin town under same District in Balochistan on January 6, reports Dawn. Police said the Naib Tehsildar Abdul Malik Tareen was the target of the first attack. An IED planted in a motorcycle parked outside Tareen's office detonated as he was entering the building. Read less...

Two persons including a Frontier Corps soldier and a civilian were injured in a remote-controlled blast in Panjgur bazaar(market) in Panjgur town under same District on January 6, reports Dawn. A security official under the condition of anonymity said the militants targeted an FC vehicle with the roadside remote-controlled bomb in Panjgur bazaar. The blast also damaged the vehicle. Read less...

The Security Forces (SFs) foiled a major terror bid, recovered arms, ammunition and explosives during a search operation in Dasht Goran area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan on January 7, reports The Nation.25-kilogram explosives, a rocket, two anti-tank mines, detonators and other material used in terrorist activities were recovered. Read less...

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohsin Butt on January 11 said that A total of 119 people — including 15 police personnel — were killed and 114 injured in terrorism-related incidents in Balochistan during 2018, reports Dawn. Twenty-five terrorists were also killed in encounters and 55 arrested in 1,245 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the province. Inspector General of Police Mohsin Butt said. He said that 1,245 IBOs and 1,869 combing operations were conducted under the National Action Plan across Balochistan in 2018 in which 55 terrorists were killed and 4,188 absconders and 5,449 accused were arrested. They belonged to 22 militant groups. IGP Butt said that another 898 suspects had been arrested during IBO operations. IGP Butt further said that 21,103 weapons, 2,536kgs of narcotics were recovered. He added that a total of 8,755 incidents of crimes — including 42 sabotage activities, 34 targeted killings and 11 sectarian killings — were reported in 2018 as compared to 9,490 in 2017. Read less...

Government of Balochistan has decided to launch a Safe City project in all major and border cities of the province on January 17, reports The Express Tribune.The decision came during a high-level meeting on the law and order situation, chaired by Balochistan's Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, where the Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police and Frontier Corps officials briefed the participants about efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) for maintaining peace. The meeting was told that implementation of the Quetta Safe City project had begun, while planning was under way to launch similar projects in all major cities of Balochistan, including those in border areas.During the meeting, implementation and progress on the National Action Plan (NAP), as well as capacity building of Police and Levies with training courses under Pakistan Army were discussed.In addition, security for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and Gwadar, geo-fencing and locator technology, performance and capacity development of the Counter-Terrorism Department and well-being of pilgrims were also reviewed. Read less...

Sindh Police's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) have developed a technical team under its anti-terror wing that has started monitoring all digital platforms amid their growing use for “promotion of ideology of hatred, anti-state activism and militancy”, a senior official said on January 17, reports The Dawn. The fresh development from the Sindh Police came after a series of steps announced by the federal government and institutions, including Pakistan Telecommuni­cation Authority (PTA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), where “the infiltration of anti-state elements and promoters of different ideologies which cannot be dubbed as pro-nationalism” have sparked concerns, necessitating immediate and strong measures. The FIA a few months ago allowed establishing of 15 cybercrime reporting centres in the country. Five of the centres will be opened in Punjab, three each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), two in Balochistan and one each in Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan. The decision was taken in accordance with Section 51 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2015, which grants the government powers to take all necessary measures for the prevention of cybercrime. Read less...

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on January 27 said that his Government was taking measures for the recovery of missing persons, reports Dawn. The issue had been haunting Balochistan for a long time and his government was cooperating with the families of missing persons, he added. Read less...

Eight Policemen, three militants and a civilian were killed in suicide attack on the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Loralai District on January 29, reports Dawn. At least 21 others (12 Policemen and nine civilians) also sustained injuries during the attack. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility of the attack adds Daily Times. Read less...

Under the ‘Peaceful Balochistan Package’ a compensation amount was distributed among 132 former militants including ‘commanders’ and ‘sub-commanders’ on January 31, reports Express Tribune. The ceremony was held at Pakistan House Sui town and Sector Commander East Brigadier Zulfiqar Bajwa was the chief guest. The package is designed to provide complete help including monetary aid to help them live a better life. Zulfiqar Bajwa while speaking at the distribution ceremony said by the combined efforts of the government and law enforcement agencies so far, many anti-state militants had put down their arms and joined hands with the government for the country’s development. Read less...