9-18 August 2023
BALOCHISTAN
Two police personnel – Khanan and Khalique Zaman were martyred while two others injured during a gun attack by the proclaimed offenders in Musakhel district (7 August).
Two FC personnel were injured, and a portion of their security post was damaged in a grenade attack by the unknown motorcyclists on Saryab Road, Quetta (7 August).
Two men including a security staff were injured in a grenade attack by unknown motorcyclists on a FC Check post on Western Bypass in Quetta (9August).
At least five people, including two police personnel and a woman, were injured in a grenade attack lobbed by unknown miscreants on the Joint Road in Quetta. Policemen fired at them, but they made good their escape. The injured policemen and the pushcart vendor ( Ms Madhu Lal), selling national flags in connection with the 14th of August Independence Day celebrations, were shifted to hospital for treatment (9 August).
In another grenade attack on police party, the SHO and two persons Zeeshan and Arslan were injured. It was a second attack of such nature after 24 hours. Baloch separatist organisations are suspected behind these incidents (9 August)
An Anti Terrorist Force (ATF) personnel Muhammad Ibrahim and his brother Muhammad Saqib were martyred in a targeted attack by unknown gunmen in Killi Baqi area of Mustang district (11 August).
Security forces killed two alleged terrorists during exchange of fire in Mazaband Range area of Kech district (11 August).
A hand grenade was hurled by unknown miscreants on the Municipal Committee office, Mastung which left three people injured (11 August).
Unidentified terrorists gunned down two labourers (names not known), working in crushing plant in Gokdan area of Turbat in Kech district. The slain persons belonged to Multan area of Punjab (13 August).
BLA -A militants attacked the convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar, but all remained safe. Two terrorists were killed in exchange of fire with the ssecurity forces.Three security personnel were injured who were shifted to Indus Hospital for treatment. The Majeed Brigade of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the responsibility of the attack (13 August). (Detailed analysis report in this regard was published in The Strategic Brief on 16 August)
Hand grenades were hurled by unknown motorcyclists on Deputy Commissioners offices in Panjgur and Surab districts however, no person was hurt (14 August)
Comments & Analysis: At least seven hand grenade attacks took place in different parts of Balochistan during the period under review. Hand grenade is a new toy in the hands of the terrorists in Balochistan. They are using it in city areas to create fear among the public and the police/LEAs. The strategy does not seem to be very effective as the losses of life have been minimal, but it definitely creates more chaos and fear due to its deafening bang.
As usual BLA miscreants tried to create harassment on Independence Day by hit and run attacks which remained mostly unsuccessful. The attack on the Punjabi labourer is also an old tactic to create disharmony among the ethnic groups. The provincial government and the security agencies ought to have a proper strategy to tackle these tactics.
KPK
One Saad Muhammad and his wife along with a few cattle were killed on roadside in a suicide bomb attack targeting security forces’ personnel in Sadgai area of Ghulam Muhammad tehsil in North Waziristan district (8 August).
A police constable Taskeenullah was martyred, and JUI-F local leader Javed Noor sustained injuries in a terrorist attack on them in the Taipei area of North Waziristan district (8 August).
A police constable performing the security duty with a Polio vaccination team was martyred in an attack on Maryan Road, Bannu (9 August).
Police HC Kamran Khan deployed on security duty with a Polio vaccination team was martyred by unidentified gunmen in Maryan area, Akhund Khel area of Bannu district (9 August).
Comments & Analysis: Police personnel accompanying polio vaccination teams are being targeted by the terrorists quite persistently and conveniently. At least two police officers should accompany a polio team so that they could cover each other.
Five FC personnels in a vehicle and a civilian passerby were injured in a suicide bomb attack in Larkaholozo area in Momand tehsil area of Bajaur district (9 August).
Three persons – Abdul Qayyum Bhittani, Attaur Rehman and Bilqys were shot dead by unidentified assailants in a workshop on the Station Road in Tank district (9 August).
A Police Constable named Sarwar Shah was martyred in a targeted gun attack by the unidentified terrorists in the limits of Bhana Mari Police Station in Peshawar district (10 August).
Two persons were shot dead in separate incidents in North Waziristan district. Out of them a senior PTCL employee Zarbaf Khan was killed in Edik area near Harzam village. His son Waqar Khan, President Youth Waziristann, was killed last year. In another incident Mauserb Khan was killed in Ipi village in the same district (11 August).
Police Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) foiled the terrorist attempt by defusing a roadside IED planted by the unknown terrorists at Oil Field foundry to target vehicles of Security forces and police vehicles near Darazanda area of Dera Ismail Khan District (12 August).
A government School teacher Fazal Moula was shot at and injured by unknown gunmen in Ghotai locality in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district (12 August).
A local resident Zafran was shot dead in a targeted attack by unknown assailants when he was goinging back home along with his brother in Maddi area of Dera Ismail Khan district (13 August).
Security forces in an IBO killed four terrorists and apprehended one while a sepoy Shoaib embraced martyrdom during exchange of fire in Charmang area of Bajaur district (13 August).
Police repulsed an attack by the unknown terrorists on the Chora security post by retaliatory fire in Khyber district (13 August).
Police on a tip-off raid recovered heavy cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosive from a terrorist’s hide-out in Kas Kervind area of Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district. The cache included machine guns, IEDs, RPG-7, mortar shells and nine rockets (14 August).
Police and security forces repulsed multi locations midnight attacks in the jurisdiction of Mattni Police Station on security check posts in Peshawar district. The locations of such attacks included Hamned Khan post, Kishangarh post and Azakhel dam posts respectively. It is learned that the attacks were launched from long distance and due to retaliatory fire, no loss of human life took place (14 August).
PUNJAB
CTD police claims to have arrested 21 terrorists affiliated with various banned outfits comprising nine affiliated with TTP and four with ISIS-K/Daesh during tip-off raids conducted in all over Punjab and recovered number of arms & ammunition, IED, fuses, detonators, and cash from their possession. The arrested accused identified including Shahid, Amin, Gul Rehman, Azad, Ishaq, Javed, Mudassar, Ijaz, Iqbal, Eisa and Wajid (12 August).
Unidentified assailants shot dead an Imam Masjid (name not known) while sleeping in the mosque in Khairpur dahan, Uch Sharief in Bahawalpur district (12 August).
SINDH
CTD police claims to have arrested an ISIS-K affiliated terrorist identified as Siraj-ul-haq @ Qari from Baloch Colony Karachi who was accused in the murder case of a sanitary worker in 2022 and collection of funds for his proscribed organisation (9 August).
Senior journalist Jan Muhammad Mehar associated with a private Sindhi news paper and TV channel was shot dead by the unidentified motorcyclists near St Saviour School on Queen Road Sukkur. Investigations are underway to determine whether it was an act of terrorism or enmity (13 August).
AFGHANISTAN
Bomb blast in a hotel in Khost
Three persons were killed, and eight others injured in a bomb blast took place in a hotel near Spin Mosque in Khost city. Police spaceperson Mustgafir Gurbaz stated that the hotel was often used for visit and stay by local citizens as well as refugees from bordering North Waziristan districts of Pakistan. No group claimed responsibility of the said attack till the filing of this report (14 August).
IRAN
Terrorist attack on Shah Chiragh Shrine in Shiraz
In gun shooting by a terrorist in the Shah Chiragh Shrine in Shiraz city, one person was killed, and eight others wounded. Police arrested the terrorist. Irani government condemned the attack and claimed that it was sponsored by Takfiris.
