Pakistan: 127 cops killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in first quarter of 2023

From January to March this year, various attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) resulted in the death of 127 police officers, The News International reported.

According to an official, 116 of them were killed in January, two in February and nine lost lives in March. At least four deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and some junior officers were among those killed in attacks during the first quarter of 2023. Most attacks have taken place in the southern districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The latest incident this year occurred in Lakki Marwat two weeks ago, when a DSP and three other police officers were killed after their armoured personnel carrier was damaged by a roadside improvised explosive device, The News International reported.

Comparatively, 36 policemen were attacked in 2017, 30 in 2018, 38 in 2019, 28 in 2020, and 59 in 2021. However, the number of casualties of policemen increased to over 120 in 2022, and the death toll in the first quarter of 2023 has already surpassed the numbers in the previous year, the report said.

The police posts in several areas have been coming under attack with grenades and heavy weapons for the last couple of years.

KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan said police posts and stations in vulnerable areas have been provided more manpower, heavy weapons, night imaging scopes, APCs and their buildings are properly protected to repulse attacks and maintain law and order, The News International reported.

The worst attack on police during the current year was in January when a suicide bomber detonated explosives pasted around his vest in the mosque of the Peshawar Police Lines during the Zuhr prayers.

There were around 400 people inside the mosque when the roof caved in after the blast. There was still confusion in the KP Police about the exact number of casualties in the biggest-ever attack on the force.

Last month, an official statement of the Counter-Terrorism Department stated the death toll in the police lines attack was 84 while 233 were injured. Another died later. The CTD statement also said the group involved has been identified while the key facilitator of the bomber was arrested. Regarding the casualties in the incident, some other senior officials put the exact death toll at 100 including 96 policemen, The News International reported.

Also, soon after this major attack, the media was told the number of casualties was over 100.

Terrorism in Pakistan has been rearing its head again. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country — especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has worsened — with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.

Since the talks with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November, the terrorist group has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed TTP, reported the Dawn.

(ANI)