Despite Threats, Militants Could Not Manage to Attack During Moharram

Despite an heightened threat of violence on the eve of Ashura (9^th and 10^th of Moharram), no major incident of violence particularly of sectarian nature was reported in the country though four militant attacks were reported that caused no human life but 11 people including four security forces personnel were injured. Since security forces were proactive and security of tightened, the militants might not have been able to find security loops to crack, however, militant attacks are likely to occur once security forces lower their guard providing space  for militants to strike. Self-explanatory tables and figures below show the comparison with previous weeks, geographical distribution of militant attacks, types of militant attacks, geographical impact and types of attacks and their impact.

In Balochistan, one militant attack was reported in which driver of a school bus of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) was injured in a roadside bomb blast in the Hanna Sour-range coalfield area near Quetta on Tuesday morning when PMDC school bus was targeted when it was going back to the Sour-range area after dropping students of different educational institutions, including colleges and universities, in Quetta. In FATA, four security personnel were injured when two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) went off near an FC vehicle in Shorki area close to Pak-Afghan border in Lower Kurram tribal agency. According to the political Administration, the four security personnel were on a routine patrol as part of Muharram security arrangements in the area near the border when two IEDs exploded as their vehicle reached Shurki area.

In KPK, three traders were injured when a shopping centre was attacked with hand grenade in Karak city in broad daylight on Monday. Police sources and local shopkeepers said that two unidentified motorcyclists lobbed a hand grenade at the shopping centre of Haji Tahir Ayub, the former president of the local traders association, in the main Karak bazaar. They said that Haji Tahir Ayub, his nephew Tehseenullah and Mir Sadat Khan sustained critical injuries in the grenade attack while the motorcyclists managed to escape. In Peshawar, three people were injured in a grenade attack near a private hospital in the Shinwari Town neighbourhood of the city on Friday. According to police, “The attack was probably spurred by a demand for ransom”. A police official said that the hospital had received extortion demands in the past.

After propping up of hoisting of Daesh/IS in area adjacent to federal capital in the last week, graffiti was reported from an area falling in Wah Cantt cantonment near Taxila (Rawalpindi district). [1] PICSS field correspondent reported on Monday (2 Oct) that security forces have foiled a major terror bid as a network of Daesh was apprehended as two four Daesh militants including two key commanders were arrested from Kurram Agency and  Orakzai Agency (in FATA) while based on their information, two militants were arrested from Wah Cantt. According to field report, security forces also seized explosive material and maps of sensitive installations. Although no relation has so far been revealed between arrested Daesh militants from Wah Canttt and graffiti issue, it can be said with certainty that Daesh is planning attacks in Pakistan and presence of its smaller networks in the country is now a reality.

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[1] https://www.dawn.com/news/1360962/is-graffiti-appears-in-wah