MARDAN, March 26: The recent surge in militant attacks in different parts of Mardan district has put a question mark on the claims of provincial government and law-enforcement agencies that they have broken the back of militants.

Under the provincial government’s strategy of giving full support to anti-militants measures, several search operations were conducted from time to time by

police and other law-enforcement agencies in various suspected areas of Mardan district, but peace is still a far cry.

The areas where the search operations were carried out included Sawaldair, Matha, Shamozai, Babozai, Kadao, Chora, Bashakhale, Jamal Gari, Speenkai, Jabbar and Guli Bagh of Katlang tehsil.

Similar search was also conducted in Choora, Narshik, Tooth Killy, Kaki and other adjacent areas.

After these search operations, the law-enforcement agencies announced that they had cleared all the suspected areas from militants and their supporters.

Unfortunately, the recent attacks on security forces and police and presence of militants in different parts of Mardan city have not only proved the official claims wrong, but also spread a wave of panic among the citizens.

In some major militant attacks in the district, a suicide bomber blew himself up in May 2008, killing 11 army men and civilians and injuring scores of others.

In July 2010, five militants were killed in a botched attack on a paramilitary training centre in Mardan.

In recent attacks, at least 28 army personnel were killed and 40 others injured when a teenage boy blew himself up at the Punjab Regiment Centre in Mardan on February 10 last.

Besides, on March 1 this year two unidentified militants hurled hand grenades at girl students of Lundkhawar Girls Degree College during a function at the college, leaving 35 of them injured.

On March 14, Hoti police station SHO Mazhar Shah and ASI Mukhtiyar Khan were killed when militants attacked them in Sadullah Kothay area on the outskirts of the city.

Later, the four suspected militants were also killed in encounter with police while nine police officials received bullet injuries.

The frequent attacks in Mardan show the presence of militants in the district and their ability to strike despite search operations and action by the law-enforcement agencies to eliminate their hideouts.

This bad law and order situation calls for a thorough review of the anti-militants strategy, with focus on training of security personnel and providing them sufficient equipment to uproot militancy from Mardan and its surrounding areas.