The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police department after analysing the overall law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has declared South and North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts as terrorist trouble spots, 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 Babakhel, the annual analysis of the security situation reveals a recent surge in the number of extortion calls from Afghanistan. More such calls are being received after Afghanistan's takeover by the Taliban.
The number of targeted attacks against the police increased in 2022 compared to the previous year, he said.
Babakhel said the counter-terrorism department has arrested some 158 extortionists wanted in 81 cases. According to him, some 62 suspects were taken into custody for kidnapping people for ransom.
"The police official said that 2,609 "threat alerts" were issued with 93 per cent of them being general and six specific," according to The Dawn report.
According to the same report, Babakhel said that 118 police personnel were killed and 117 suffered injuries in operations against criminals, including terrorists.
Babakhel said that the police's top priority was to promote public policing and establish a prosperous and peaceful society.
Police bosses have ordered a strict crackdown on the anti-state elements and criminals as they didn't deserve any concessions, Babakhel said.
"He said the police had also been directed to ensure the maintaining of law and order," reported The Dawn.
Recently, the media reported that the deteriorating law and order situation in Pakistan and the rising militancy have caused fear and panic among the people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Bannu region.
The residents are vexed due to rising incidents of terrorism, target killing and attacks on police and other law enforcement agencies, The News International reported.
The Pakistani newspaper said routine life has come to a standstill and businesses are affected due to market closure as people prefer to stay at home before dusk in the three districts of the Bannu division.
A total of 33 terrorists were killed in the operation this week after the Pakistani army regained control of a counter-terrorism center in Bannu, where a group of officers was being held hostage by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members, the Dawn reported.
( With inputs from ANI )
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