PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a 60 per cent reduction in terrorist attacks in the first three months of the current year compared to the same period, last year, according to a police report.

The report said that during the first three months of 2015, 57 terror incidents occurred compared to 139 in the corresponding period, last year. There has also been a decrease in the casualties in the first quarter of this year as 51 persons were killed during the period compared to 179 killed in the first three months of the previous year.

According to the statistics available with the police, only one incident of suicide bombing occurred in the first three months, this year compared to five such incidents, last year.

Similarly, a total of nine rocket and hand grenade attacks took place during the first quarter compared to 22 incidents last year. A major decrease was witnessed in the incidents of IED explosions as only 20 IED blasts occurred during the period in focus compared to a huge 74 such incidents last year, the report said.

The lone suicide attack in the first quarter of the current year occurred at a Shia mosque in Peshawar; however, the counterterrorism department succeeded in not only identifying the suicide bomber, but also the group of terrorists involved in the act, the police report maintained.

It said that the provincial counterterrorism department led by AIG Salahuddin had, with the support of Intelligence Bureau, worked out 145 cases of terrorism. Presently, all incidents of terrorism have been registered in CTD police stations which exclusively handle these cases. The CTD also succeeded in arresting 121 terrorists and six proclaimed offenders carrying head money, the report concluded.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play