Islamabad: Last Sunday witnessed several blasts in Pakistan in which many army officials and civilians lost their lives as the country battles a fresh wave of terrorism.
After the continuous case of attacks came into the spotlight, yesterday, the United States embassy in Islamabad prohibited its staff from visiting the federal capital’s Marriott Hotel, citing concerns of a “possible attack”.
“Event: US government staff prohibited from visiting Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel du a security alert issued today, the US embassy asked its government staff to exercise vigilance at places of worship, and avoid locations with large crowds. It also asked them to monitor local media for updates to possible attack,” the US embassy in Islamabad said in an alert posted on its website.
On Sunday, at least seven blasts took place in Pakistan’s Balochistan where 5 army personnel were killed and 19 others were injured.
According to Dawn, at least 15 people were injured in five separate grenade blasts in Balochistan on Sunday, officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, 5 Pakistan Army personnel were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) during a clearance operation in Balochistan’s Kahan area, the military’s media wing confirmed.
Separately, in Quetta, at least four people were injured in a grenade blast on the Sabzal Road in Pakistan’s Quetta, according to a statement by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, reported The Dawn.
According to Police a flag of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hoisted on an electric pylon in Mir Ali Market, North Waziristan Tribal District was reported by locals and taken down.
TTP is allied with the Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August last year. The radical Islamic outfit has stepped up attacks since it announced the end of an Afghan Taliban-brokered ceasefire with the government in November.
Last month, TTP called off a shaky ceasefire with the government and ordered fighters to stage attacks across the country.
The TTP has conducted dozens of major attacks in Pakistan. In Bannu, over two dozen TTP fighters at a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took guns from seven security personnel on duty and took them hostage. The militants had also fired upon the security personnel, reportedly injuring a CTD man and a soldier.
The rise in the TTP attacks in Bannu has pushed the authorities to declare the district as a terrorist troublespot, reported The Dawn.
Mohammad Ali Babakhel, additional inspector general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police (operations) on Friday, told reporters: “Southern districts, including North and South Waziristan [from among the newly-merged tribal districts] as well as Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts [from settled areas], are trouble spots.”
According to sources closed-door discussions are ongoing and major decisions are expected in the next couple of weeks. A meeting of the National Security Committee is likely to be convened to debate and take crucial measures against the renewed threat from the TTP.
In 2022, TTP killed more than 150 Pakistanis in multiple attacks. Since the end of the ceasefire, TTP conducted 33 attacks in which 35 security personnel were killed, claims TTP.
