www.rsis.edu.sg 25 – 31 7August – 13 March 2014 2016

Country Weekly Report of

International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research

PAKISTAN

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar:

On 12 March, militants from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot dead Lieutenant Colonel, Tariq Ghafoor, near the Khushal Road in Peshawar. The area of his killing was within the vicinities of the Sarband police station. Ghafoor was the son of a former inspector general of Frontier Corps, Major General, Fazl Ghafoor.1

Charsadda:

On 7 March, Jamat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the TTP, conducted a suicide attack, killing at least 16 people, including six women and two policemen near Shabqadar Town. The location of the suicide attack was within the vicinity of sub-district courts. The attack also injured more than 20 people. The spokesperson of the group, Ehsanullah Ehsan, stated that the attack was carried out as a revenge for the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, a security guard convicted of shooting dead Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.2

1 Manzoor Ali, “Army officer shot dead in Peshawar,” Dawn, 12 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1245200/army-officer-shot-dead-in-peshawar. 2 “16 killed in suicide blast at courts in Shabqadar,” Dawn, 8 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1244260/16-killed-in-suicide-blast-at-courts-in-shabqadar.

Quetta

Sibi district:

ON 9 March, security forces conducted a search operation in the Sangan area of Sibi district, killing nine militants in a resulting gun battle. One senior commander and spokesperson for the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) were among the militants killed. The authorities stated that the senior commander was an Afghan Tajik, who came from Afghanistan and joined BLA in 1992.3

Dera Bugti district:

On 13 March, security forces conducted a raid along the outskirts of Dera Bugti, killing five militants during a resulting clash. During the raid, security forces also obliterated multiple camps and hideouts of militants. The militants belonged to the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were seized from their possession.4

Pishin district:

On 12 March, men on a motorcycle shot dead Assistant Sub-Inspector, Ali Ahmed, while was on duty at a check-post. The militants fled the location after the attack and their group affiliations could not be ascertained.5

Quetta:

On 10 March, security forces arrested eight Afghan Taliban members during a raid on a house in the Pashtoonabad locality of Quetta. The militants were taken in for further interrogation. Moreover, electronic devices and extremist materials in their possession were also seized.6

Sindh

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar:

3 Saleem Shahid. “Commander among 8 BLA men killed in Sibi,” Dawn, 10 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1244704/commander-among-8-bla-men-killed-in-sibi. 4 “Five „militants‟ killed in Dera Bugti gunbattle,” Dawn, 14 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1245552/five-militants-killed-in-dera-bugti-gunbattle. 5 “ASI shot dead in Pishin,” Dawn, 7 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1244054/asi-shot-dead-in-pishin. 6 “Eight Afghan Taliban held in raid,” Dawn, 12 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1245197/eight-afghan-taliban-held-in-raid. On 12 March, militants from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot dead Lieutenant Colonel, Tariq Ghafoor, near the Khushal Road in Peshawar. The area of his killing was within the vicinities of the Sarband police station. Ghafoor was the son of a former inspector general of Frontier Corps, Major General, Fazl Ghafoor.7

Charsadda:

On 7 March, Jamat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the TTP, conducted a suicide attack, killing at least 16 people, including six women and two policemen near Shabqadar Town. The location of the suicide attack was within the vicinity of sub-district courts. The attack also injured more than 20 people. The spokesperson of the group, Ehsanullah Ehsan, stated that the attack was carried out as a revenge for the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, a security guard convicted of shooting dead Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.8

Karachi:

On 12 March, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel killed two militants from Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) during an encounter in the Quaidabad area of Karachi. The two militants were killed after a raid was conducted in the area, and were described by the authorities as “high value targets”.9

7 Manzoor Ali, “Army officer shot dead in Peshawar,” Dawn, 12 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1245200/army-officer-shot-dead-in-peshawar. 8 “16 killed in suicide blast at courts in Shabqadar,” Dawn, 8 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1244260/16-killed-in-suicide-blast-at-courts-in-shabqadar.

9 “Police claim killing two AQIS militants,” Dawn, 13 March 2016, Accessed 14 March 2016, http://www.dawn.com/news/1245380/police-claim-killing-two-aqis-militants.