In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first six months of 2024 witnessed an alarming surge in terrorism, financial support for terrorism, facilitation, extortion, target killings, and kidnappings for ransom. Dera Ismail Khan, the district of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, was particularly affected, leading the province in terrorism incidents.
According to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) report, a total of 477 incidents related to terrorism and associated crimes were reported across 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during this period. These incidents included 229 cases of terrorism, 78 cases of extortion, 38 cases of target killing, and numerous instances of kidnapping for ransom.
Peshawar ranked second, Bannu third, and North Waziristan fourth in terms of the number of terrorist incidents. North Waziristan recorded the highest number of target killings, with Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan reporting 8 and 7 cases respectively. Peshawar also saw a significant number of extortion cases, with 48 incidents reported, followed by 7 each in Khyber and Kohat.
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The breakdown of terrorism incidents revealed Dera Ismail Khan at the top with 63 cases, followed by 41 in Bannu, 33 in North Waziristan, 23 in Khyber, 22 in Bajaur, and 13 in Peshawar.
The CTD report also highlighted the facilitation of terrorism, with 58 cases registered, including 21 in Dera Ismail Khan, 15 in Mardan, and 6 each in Peshawar and Kohat. Financial support for terrorism saw 11 cases, with 4 in Mardan and 2 each in Dera Ismail Khan and Dir.
Overall, Dera Ismail Khan reported the highest number of cases across all categories with 107 incidents, followed by Peshawar with 87, and Bannu with 60.
This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures and targeted interventions to address the escalating threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
