Pakistan's Struggle Against TTP: A Violent Start to 2023

In early 2023, Pakistani police have confronted escalating violence with 69 TTP terrorists killed and 26 police casualties. This spike is attributed to the TTP's resumed hostilities following the end of a ceasefire, with numerous attacks on police establishments reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The first months of 2023 have seen a grim surge in violence in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 69 terrorists linked to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed by police forces, according to official data. This period, spanning January to mid-March, also recorded the tragic deaths of 26 police officers in the line of duty.

Tensions have escalated since the TTP, which shares ideological roots with the Afghan Taliban, called off a ceasefire with the Pakistani government in November 2022. This cessation of peace talks has coincided with intensified terror activities, notably in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Central Police Line reports further highlight the severity of the conflict, documenting 29 attacks on police installations in January, followed by 24 in February and 15 by mid-March. Additionally, it notes that police search units faced nine attacks, indicating a relentless assault on law enforcement in the region. Concerns have been raised over the use of weapons left by the US in Afghanistan by TTP operatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)