Three soldiers were killed and four others sustained serious injuries when Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed cadres opened fire on them in the Chinarak area of central part of Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Sunday. The soldiers were patrolling near Takray Patti when heavily armed militants opened fire with heavy weapons. In the intense exchange of gunfire, they said Lance Naik Aamir, Sepoy Akram, and Sepoy Jibran died instantly, while Sepoy Suleman, Masoodul Hasan, Nasir, and Irfan sustained severe injuries, according to the police.
The wounded soldiers and the bodies of deceased were immediately shifted to CMH Thal for medical treatment and further procedures. Following the attack, security forces launched a retaliatory operation across various areas of central Kurram. As part of their crackdown, multiple houses suspected of harbouring terrorist facilitators were set ablaze. This has created a severe backlash as the residents gathered in strength and protested this as many of them have been rendered destitute and are now out on the roads with no shelters.
The worsening security situation has led to significant disruptions in the region. The main highways and transportation routes across Kurram district remain closed due to the presence of militants in the bordering mountainous areas of Khyber and Orakzai, effectively confining thousands of residents within their villages, according to a report in The News International.
The burning down of many houses by the security forces has also affected Afghan citizens eking out a living in mountainous region. According to some estimates, the number of Afghan citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may be around 20 lakh. They are likely to be hit hard in the coming days as Pakistan starts deporting them to their country.
Incidentally, military operations have in central Kurram have been going on for a long time but met little success. The blockade of many arterial roads has left the population stranded, causing severe hardships every day activities, be it trade or medical emergencies.
Meanwhile, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) affiliate, TTG Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group Kurram Wilayah, has claimed responsibility for the attack on a security forces’ post in the Takrai Patti area of central Kurram. According to Zubair, a commander, one of their fighters, Hassan, was killed during the operation.
It has now come to the fore that there was a significant rise in TTP attacks on Army personnel. However, the data also shows that civilian casualties have risen sharply, according to Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
According to PICSS, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured. Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, it said.
“February 2025 marked the first month since August 2024 in which civilian fatalities surpassed those of security forces. Civilian deaths rose by 175 per cent compared to January 2025, when 20 civilians were killed, while security forces’ casualties declined by 18pc, down from 57 in January,” the report said.
The report stated that terrorist fatalities also dropped by 25pc, with 208 killed in January compared to 156 in February. A significant increase in arrests was recorded in February, with 66 suspects detained — the highest monthly figure since December 2023, when 139 terrorists were apprehended.
According to PICSS, Balochistan remained the most volatile province, recording 32 attacks that claimed 56 lives, including 35 civilians, 10 security personnel, and 11 militants.
In the merged districts, 21 terrorist attacks were reported, leading to the deaths of 22 security personnel and eight civilians. Per the report, 26 security forces personnel and 11 civilians were injured. Security forces killed at least 98 terrorists, injured 15, and arrested 50 suspects in the region.
Most of the attacks were claimed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Lashkar-e-Islam and factions of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group also claimed responsibility for several attacks.
