Islamabad, Pakistan – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest PakistanI has been gripped by a wave of deadly violence over the past 48 hours. A series of coordinated attacks by armed groups have left 19 people dead, including 15 police officers and four civilians. These developments further destabilize the already fragile region. The region borders Afghanistan.
Details of the attacks and kidnappings
A senior PakistanI police official in Peshawar, the provincial capital, stated that the attacks targeted security checkpoints and civilian gatherings in various parts of the province. The official also revealed that two policemen were abducted during one of the operations. He confirmed that they “remain missing” as of now, amidst intensive search operations being conducted by security forces in the rugged terrain of the region.
For its part, the Pakistani army announced the execution of four preemptive counter-insurgency operations in the same region. These operations resulted in the killing of 26 militants. This was in an attempt to contain the escalating violence that threatens the province’s security.
Pakistani Taliban adopts the policy and exacerbates tensions
The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. The group has significantly intensified its operations since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2011.
Islamabad has increasingly accused neighboring Afghanistan of harboring militants and providing them with safe havens to launch cross-border attacks. However, the Afghan government continues to categorically deny these accusations.
These attacks come just days after an exchange of fire between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border. In that incident, both sides blamed each other for initiating the escalation.
explosive regional context
The violence was not confined to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but extended to the neighboring province of Balochistan. In Balochistan, security forces became a constant target of ambushes, bombings, and surprise attacks. In response to these threats, the Pakistani army repeatedly launched air and ground strikes. These strikes targeted what it described as “militant strongholds” across the border.
Observers believe this ongoing escalation is exacerbating diplomatic tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. It also presents the region with open-ended conflict scenarios. This is given the stalled efforts to secure the long and porous border between the two countries.
