BALOCHISTAN

1. A Session Judge at Turbat ordered registration of case, FIR against the CTD personnel involved in the killing of four persons including Balch Moula Bukash during the fake encounter in the area couple of days ago. The said incident of extrajudicial killings caused a massive protest by locals (26 November).

2. Two suspected terrorists were killed by the security forces during exchange of fire in an IBO in Nangao Mountain area of Kalat district (27 November).

3. Two Levis Force personnel – Obaidullah Achakzai and Muhammad Qasim Baloch were martyred while an injured outlawed Amanullah Marjanzai was arrested during exchange of fire with miscreants in Luni area of Duki district (3 December).

4. Unidentified shooters opened fired on a vehicle, killed a tribal elder Haji Saif Hassani and injured three others in Chagi (5 December).

5. Unknown armed motorcyclists shot dead advocate Waris Alizai and injured another person Haji Habibullah an employee of Session Courts during the targeted attack in Khuzdar city (5 December).

6. A labourer identified as Saddam Hussain Khosa was killed and three others including two police constables injured in bomb blast by unidentified terrorists targeting a labourer camp of a construction company engaged in road construction in Hussaniabad area of Sohabatpur district (8 December).

7.   CTD Station House Officer (SHO), Murad Jamote, was killed and two others were injured in a bomb blast in the Khuzdar district. Police said a magnetic bomb was planted on Jamote’s vehicle when he was going to office near Sultan Ibrahim Road in Khuzdar area. The wounded and deceased were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Khuzdar (10 Dec).

Comments & Analysis: In contrast to the terrorist activities in Pashtoon belt adjoining border with Afghanistan by the TTP and ISIS-K the Baloch separatist groups including outlawed BLA and BLF are active in other areas particularly in the southern part of Balochistan province. They have been targeting labourers and kidnapping skilled workers in their camps established by the construction companies. They are trying to hinder CPEC developments coupled with the coastal areas in Gwadar and Kech district. The vested interests of political parties and pressure groups also aggravate the situation of law and order. The recent incidents demand the attention of federal government to protect and sustain safety of locals and foreigners in the region. Balochistan caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai has said that terrorists had at once awakened in Balochistan adding that why people were not awakening in support of those martyrs who had been martyred by the outlawed organisations. He said that sheltering terrorists and providing the terrorists with food was akin to terrorism.

Gilget- Baltistan (GB)

1.  The terrorist attack on a passenger bus in GB’s Chilas area left 9 dead and 25 others injured (2 December).

Comments and analysis: GB is the jewel of Pakistan that attracts tourists from across the country and the world over. All concerned departments must continue efforts to promote tourism in the region while implementing robust security measures. Striking a balance between attracting visitors and ensuring their safety is essential for the economic growth and prosperity of the area.GB has faced several incidents of terrorism in the past which took lives of number of foreign nationals particularly Chinese. Apart from sectarian targets, the disruption on CPEC route and damage to its linked projects seem to be a major target by TTP and other terrorist organizations. The involvement of Indian intelligence agencies and their anti-Pakistan narrative cannot be ruled in these incidents.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)

1. Police Constable Hizabullah was injured during an attack by the terrorists on a police patrol party in Talgi Road area of Bannu district (27 November).

2.  Police party escorting a polio veccnation team repulsed an attack of the terrorists through retaliatory fire in Bazabanda Darbar, Mamond tehsil in Bajaur district district (27 November).

3. Police Head constable Muhammad Ashraf escorting a polio vaccination team was martyred during an attack in Mandana area for Bannu district (1st December).

4. Police Constable Abdul Hameed escorting a polio vaccination team was injured during an attack by the terrorists in Zarwam area of Bannu district (1st December).

5. Police Constable Hazibullah was injured in an attack on the police patrol party in Talgi Road area of the said district (27 November).

6. A suspected terrorist identified as Rehmatullah was killed during exchange of fire by The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police during a joint operation in Domel area of Bannu district (30 November).

7. Three members of a family – Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, his son Abdul Wadood and son-in- law Abdul Hameed was killed by unknown persons in Nanakpura area of Peshawar (30 November).

8. Attack by a group of unidentified terrorists on a checkpost was repulsed by the security forces after heavy exchange of fire in Sarabangla area of Bannu district (1st December).

9. A terrorist was killed while a Police Constable Sadeeq Khan escorting a polio vaccination team also embraced martyr in exchange of fire during in Bara tehsil of Khyber district (1 December).

10. A miltant commander affiliated with banned TTP (name not known) was reportedly apprehended by the security forces in a raid in Mardan district (2 December).

11. Five persons including four children identified as Samiullah, Zakir, Javed Sana ullah and Yousaf were reportedly injured in an IED blast near Babu Garhi on Earak Road, Peshawar (4 December)

12. CTD police claimed that they arrested another suspect Sultan Ahmedzai, an Afghan national operating under the cover of a trader from the Phandu vegetable market in Peshawar. The four other members are included Feroz Khan, Rauf and Muhammad Hussain – all are Pakistani nationals. They are allegedly affiliated with ISIS/Daesh network and have foreign currencies of various countries. The mobile phone SIM cards were also recovered (4 December).

13. A soldier Ahmed Ali was martyred during exchange of fire with the terrorists in Sararogha area of South Waziristan district (5 December).

14. Security forces killed a terrorist identifed as Habibur Rehaman during exchange of fire in Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district (6 December).

15. Police Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) claimed that they averted a big disaster by defusing a bomb, planted by unidentified terrorists near the gate of Saddar Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan (7 December).

16. CTD police reportedly arrested a member of money laundering gang, a suspect Jahanzeb in Peshawar and recovered Rs. 2.5 million from him. Some other members of his gang had already been arrested last month (8 December).

17. CTD police also arrested a suspected veiled woman identified as Maryam Bibi in Peshawar (8 December).

18. Five terrorists (unidentified) were killed during exchange of fire by the security forces in Tank district (8 December).

19. CTD has busted a 30-member ring of extortionists involved in collecting huge amounts of extortion from well-off people by making threatening calls from Afghan numbers (11 Dec).

Comments and Analysis: Security forces as well as police continued their drive to chase and arrest terrorists, miscreants and militants in the province. However, the counter terrorist attacks and target killings of security personnel and citizens by the terrorists and miscreants did not peter out. According to the statistics, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) stated that during the current year 243 attacks took place on police force that included 40 in Dera Ismail Khan, 37 in Peshawar and 31 in Khyber districts. The area of Bannu, Tank, Malakand, North and South Waziristan also remained on top of the list. During these attacks over 174 police personnel, 51 Pakistan army soldiers, 37 FC personnel, 10 personnel of other forces and 144 civilians were martyred. Earlier on 1st December CTD released a list of women who had been involved in terrorism related cases since 2014. Out of 30 were involved in terrorism, 23 kidnapping, two in extortion and three in target killings. Nine women have been acquitted by the courts while several others are pending list.

PUNJAB

1. Ten persons including two police personnel, and three farmers were killed during exchange of fire with dacoits belonging to Kosh and Shar Ganges of Katcha area on a sugarcane farm between Machks and Daulatabad area of Rahimyar Khan district (30 November).

2. CTD police claimed to have arrested 14 alleged terrorists during several raids in various districts of Punjab and recovered arms, ammunition, explosive materials. The arrested persons include: Safiyan Ahmed, Ansar Ali, Waheedullah, Saad Habib almadni, Abu Salam, Qamar ul Zaman, Zahid, Asad, Khair Din, Hafiz Usman, Bilal Usman, Ali Akbar, Imran and Shuaib (2 December).

3. A car parked in the parking area of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore caught fire and burnt into ashes. However, the other nearby vehicles remained safe. The CAA firebrigade reached the spot to control the fire. According to the CAA initial inquiry, the fire might have been broken out due to short circuiting. Airport is sensitive place, and this incident needs to be investigated thoroughly (8 December).

SINDH

1. Unidentified armed persons shot a motorcyclist and left him injured at Godha area of Karachi (6 December).

2. CTD police arrested a terrorist, identified as Ahmed, who is affiliated with Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) and is involved in blowing off a paylon of high-Tension transmission line in Yousaf Goth, Jamshoro (7 December).

3. CTD police claimed to have arrested a suspect, TTP Chief Asfandullah Khan from Karachi. He was reportedly involved in number of attacks on the security forces and police (8 December).

AFGHANISTAN

1. Police reportedly arrested an unidentified person and recovered nine kg natural Uranium from his posession in Galan district of Gagazni province (21 November).
2. One person was killed and another wounded in a bomb blast in Sara Road district of Nangarhar province (23 November).
3. Police recovered a body, explosives alongwith drugs from a store in Parwan province (29 November).
4. Unidentified armed persons killed six persons and wounded three others in a targeted attack on their vehicle in Khusrod area of Jibril district in Herat province. The deceased included two clerics – Muhammad Taqi Sadeghi and Mohsin Hamadi Imams of Radool ul Azam mosque and Hazrat Abulfazal mosques respectively (1 December).

Security Indicator

Terrorism: High in KPK and Balochistan: TTP, BLA, BLF and other sectarian groups including their affiliates have continued their terrorist activities in tribal areas, some parts of KPK, Balochistan and major cities of Pakistan.

Threat Level: High – The threat level is persistently high due to national, international and regional security environment. Intelligence agencies must take proactive pre-emptive measures to unearth the networks and foil the evil designs of the terrorists.

Level of Sectarianism & Religious Extremism: Moderate

Border Situation:  Ceasefire at LoC. The Western border (Pak-Afghan) also largely remained calm.

Health Security: Lahore and Karachi being the most polluted cities are a source of multiple ailments for the residents of these cities.

Social Unrest: Controlled.