Pakistan: TTP stepped up attacks on ‘enemy’ Pakistani military in August, caused huge casualties

at 5:01 pm
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) cadre in specialised gear. File pic released by TTP

Peshawar, Sep 2 (NVI): Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed to have killed and injured 447 personnel of the Pakistan Army and other security agencies during the month of August as it significantly increased attacks against the “enemy” during the period.

In a statement to NVI, the TTP said it carried out a total of 243 attacks during the month, targeting the Pakistan Army, Paramilitary Frontier Corps, Police and Intelligence agencies in various parts of the country.

In these attacks, 202 “enemy” personnel were killed and 245 injured, said the statement which gave details of the operations.

Significantly, the attacks by the TTP are substantially higher than in the previous months and were carried out as the Pakistan Army intensified its military operation ‘Azm-e-Ishtekam’ launched to ‘eliminate’ the Islamist group.

Among the government forces, Army/Special Services Group (SSG) suffered the maximum casualties of 272 (killed and injured), the police and counter-terrorism department (CTD) had 86 casualties, Frontier Corps (FC) had 83 and Intelligence agencies had 6.

At least 7 personnel of the government forces were “arrested”, it said.

The number of attacks and casualties suffered by the Pakistani forces in August are significantly higher than those in the previous months.

In the month of July, the Islamist organisation killed 91 Pakistani military and police personnel and injured 124 in 146 attacks.

Prior to that, in the month of June, the Pakistani forces suffered a lesser brunt as they faced only 96 attacks, in which 81 soldiers and policemen were killed and 116 injured.

In August, most of the operations, numbering 74, were carried out in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakthunkhwa Province, followed by 65 in Bannu district of the province, 54 in Peshawar district, 31 in Malakand, 13 in Kohat and 2 in Mardan district, according to the statement issued by TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani.

Two attacks were carried out in Punjab Province too.

The types of the operations included 113 Drazkov/Laser Attacks, 42 Guerrilla attacks, 32 Grenade/bomb blasts, 11 Counter Attacks and 2 Missile attacks.

These attacks caused the destruction of 39 detention rooms, 17 dedicated military vehicles, 6 military buildings, 5 drone rooms and 1 tank, he said.

The TTP cadres seized weapons from the “enemy”, which included 5 G3 guns, 3 mm LMG gun, 2 RPG 7 rockets, 3 AK rifles, 3 communication sets, 1 pistol and 1 smart phone.

Hundreds of bullets and light various military equipment were also recovered.