Target killing on rise in Pakistan's North Waziristan: Report

The mayhem of target killing is on a rise in the North Waziristan as around 20 people have become victims of such incidents in the first four months of 2021 in the erstwhile FATA region.

Recently, a local belonging to North Waziristan has lost his life in Edak, Express Tribune reported.

Police told The Express Tribune that Khalil Muhammad, resident of Mirkhon Khel village was on his way home on his motorcycle when unidentified armed men opened fire at him from a car. He died on the spot.

Local residents blamed that the administration of the district has imposed section 144 for one month under which the display of weapons is strictly prohibited but even then an armed robbery took place on Saturday and now a local has been gunned down.

Local residents said that each year dozen of locals are killed in mysterious targeted attacks. Many people are killed inside their homes in daring attacks, causing widespread panic.

The incidents of target killings have escalated in the erstwhile FATA region. So far in the past four months of 2021 around 20 people have been killed. Last year in North Waziristan 46 such incidents took place and in 2019, 51 target killings were recorded.

Last year in November, Malak Raees Khan, a notable Pashtun tribal leader in North Waziristan, was killed.

South Waziristan and North Waziristan, which are two of the seven former semi-autonomous tribal regions in Pakistan also known as FATA, served as headquarters for local and foreign terrorists until 2017.

The army claimed it has cleared the mountainous region of terrorists following several operations to eliminate the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Pakistan (TTP), according to Al Jazeera.

Successive operations have pushed the TTP towards neighbouring Afghanistan. Islamabad claims the group has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces and civilians.

( With inputs from ANI )

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