The Israel-Palestinian conflict is likely to widen its conflict area. Hezbollah has fired at Israel from Lebanon a few hours ago, to which Israel is retaliating violently. In Egypt, a policeman fired at Israeli tourists in Alexandria, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian guide.

Given the escalating situation in the broader Middle East and the potential spillover effects on Pakistan cannot be ruled out. The extremists and terrorists in Pakistan, affiliated with TTP and Daesh, who are already carrying out terrorist activities in the country, might be encouraged by overall environment of violence in the Muslim world and try to cause mischief by enhancing their activities and targeting minorities and foreigners. Necessary security precautions and continued vigilance are warranted to preempt any untoward incident and  ensure national security and stability.

The intelligence agencies should focus on this aspect and closely monitor extremist groups, especially those affiliated with TTP and Daesh. They must increase surveillance efforts to detect and prevent potential threats, focusing on areas with known extremist activities.

Infiltration of terrorists from Pak-Afghan border is a perennial problem. There is a need to intensify security measures along the borders to prevent infiltration by individuals or groups seeking to exploit the regional turmoil.

As there are chances of attacks on minorities and foreigners, as happened in Egypt, implement robust security measures at places of worship, minority communities’ sites, and areas frequented by foreigners.

Intelligence agencies and LEAs must conduct targeted and intelligence-driven counterterrorism operations to dismantle extremist networks and disrupt their activities.