PESHAWAR, March 2: The Frontier province has been in the grip of terrorists since last year who, primarily, kept their activities in rural areas but now they are taking hold over the urban areas as well. The preoccupation of security forces in the counter-terrorism activities has led to an alarming increase in petty crimes in the region.

Recent incidents show that militant networks are getting strength across the province that is why acts of terror are being committed almost every day in different areas.

The militants are directly targeting public places and it is, perhaps, lack of interest on part of the officials concerned or lack of resources that the security personnel and state installations are continuously being hit but no counter action is visibly seen so far.

Officials of various law enforcement agencies think that last year proved vary disastrous -- at least 370 persons (137 of them security personnel) were killed while over 851,455 were injured as a result of over 329 terrorist attacks in the NWFP. But the situation currently seems to be more serious as out of some 60 explosions about 25 were direct attacks which claimed at least 95 lives and injured over 200 people till February 29. The interrogators seem confused to determine who is actually behind the wave of terrorism. The attackers have targeted military convoys, police checkposts, mosques, imambargah, CD/video shops, internet cafés and indoor game centres.

Peshawar is also affected due to rise in militancy. Explosions occurred almost on weekly basis during last year but no practical steps were seen to protect even the provincial capital. The increasing number of bomb blasts and recovery of explosive materials, sophisticated arms and ammunitions from parts of the district show as if terrorists have dumped explosives in the city and are waiting to detonate them at the ‘right’ time.

The attacks by hundreds of armed men on the joint checkposts of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and police in the outskirts of Peshawar show that the government is not serious to take drastic steps against terrorists so that peace comes back to the city. During the past weeks, at least four checkposts in the jurisdiction of Badbher and Matni police stations were attacked and about six security personnel were killed. According to officials, the checkposts were having few security personnel who were having traditional light weapons; therefore, they were unable to fight the organised militants armed with sophisticated weapons.