THE past year was not a good one where deadly terrorist attacks go, for according to the military’s data, 2024 saw the highest number of civilian and military casualties in a decade.

Much of this bloodshed is the handiwork of the banned TTP and other religiously inspired militants, though separatist groups in Balochistan also launched several major attacks. Now it seems that the state has decided to push back hard, going after militants in the worst-affected parts of KP.

Since the start of 2025, numerous operations have been conducted in several KP districts. Two separate attacks occurred in North Waziristan, in which four personnel were martyred on Thursday. As per the military’s media wing, 13 terrorists were killed in the encounters. Moreover, around 30 terrorists have been killed in earlier operations. Counterterrorism action was also carried out on Friday.

The military should continue its CT operations till all the affected areas are cleared of militancy. The state has a good idea of the geographical area which needs to be focused on, for the vast number of the 444 terrorist attacks last year occurred in KP. The security forces need to zero in on the districts where militants have established a foothold, and neutralise or evict these malign actors from Pakistani territory. The loss of personnel is particularly tragic, and as this paper has written before, civil and military personnel need to be given better equipment and training that could help save lives in the heat of battle.

The issue of abandoned American weapons in Afghanistan has also come up recently. Earlier, top officials, including the defence minister, had said that TTP fighters were using weapons US forces left behind in Afghanistan after their 2021 retreat. US President Donald Trump has said that “we want the military equipment back” with reference to these weapons.

The Foreign Office has also weighed in on the issue, with the spokesman saying that Pakistan has repeatedly called for ensuring that the weapons “do not fall into the wrong hands”. Making sure that American arms should not end up in the hands of TTP or other terrorists should be a priority for all regional states, as well as the international community. The previous US administration acted hastily by leaving such high-tech gear to be scooped up by terrorists. The current US set-up should do all possible to see that whatever remains of these armaments is retrieved.

To prevent the bloodshed witnessed in 2024, Pakistan will have to act internally, by honing its CT policy to meet the threat, while also maintaining diplomatic pressure on the Afghan Taliban to ensure their soil is not used by anti-Pakistan actors. Together with kinetic operations and supplementary actions, terrorism can be defeated.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025