Over the past year, Pakistan has experienced a notable increase in terror attacks. In response, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is actively engaged in intelligence gathering and operations to prevent and investigate terrorism-related activities.
According to a recent statement, over the last three months, the CTD arrested 14 terrorists in Lahore and Rawalpindi each, seven each in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, six each in Jhang and Sargodha, five in Sahiwal, four in Gujranwala, and three each in Bahawalnagar and Gujrat.
Of those arrested, 55 belong to “Fitna al Khawarij,” five are from ISIS (Islamic State), and two each are from Al-Qaeda, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and Jeay Sindh. The state uses the term “Fitna al Khawarij” to refer to members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The CTD also reported significant seizures during these raids, including 20.2 kilograms of explosive material, 85 detonators, 183 feet of safety fuse wire, 717 pamphlets from a banned organization, magazines, detonating cord, mobile phones, and cash.
Eighty-seven criminal cases have been filed against the suspects, and investigations are ongoing. The statement noted that the arrested individuals “had been planning attacks on important buildings in several cities.” The CTD reiterated its commitment to the “Safe Punjab” objective, vowing to “spare no effort to bring terrorists and anti-state elements to justice.”
In related security efforts this week, local police and other agencies conducted 13,521 combing operations. These checks led to the inspection of 552,692 people, the arrest of 1,131 suspects, the registration of 1,061 First Information Reports (FIRs), and 906 recoveries.
Earlier this week, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CTD neutralized three terrorists, including an Afghan national, during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber district. Two of the militants killed were involved in a suicide bombing in Peshawar that resulted in the deaths of a sub-inspector and a constable. The CTD statement said the operation was based on intelligence about the presence of Fazal Noor, a commander of the banned militant group Islamic State Khorasan Province, and his group members in the Ali Masjid area.
