Pakistan: Rising Insecurity In Bannu Division – Analysis
By SATP
By Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
On July 15, 2024, at least 12 terrorists and eight Security Force (SF) personnel were killed in a terrorist attack on Bannu Cantonment in the Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Initially, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the entry gate, facilitating another 10 terrorists to enter the Cantonment. The SFs retaliated and clashes erupted. On July 16, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) claimed that the 10 terrorists were killed during the operation, in which eight SF personnel also lost their lives. However, social media sources claimed that an Army helicopter was shot down by the terrorists, while 17 soldiers, including two Majors and one Captain, were killed, and another 54 persons sustained injuries in the attack. Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad, a faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack.
On July 11, 2024, two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, on holiday in their hometown of Janikhel in Bannu District, were shot dead by unidentified terrorists.
On July 10, 2024, four family members, including an off-duty Police officer, were killed and a minor was injured, when unidentified terrorists opened fire on their vehicle near Kurram Bridge on the Indus Highway within the jurisdiction of the Dadiwala Police Station in Lakki Marwat District.
On July 9, 2024, two terrorists and one Army Captain were killed, while three other soldiers sustained injuries, during an exchange of fire with terrorists in North Waziristan District. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur-backed Jaishul Umeri Istishadi Kandak claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Bannu Division in KP comprises three Districts: Bannu, Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the Bannu Division has recorded at least 234 terrorism-related fatalities (38 civilians, 70 SF personnel, 122 terrorists and four Not Specified) in 2024, thus far (data till July 28, 2024). In 2023, during the corresponding period, there were 134 terrorism-related fatalities, including eight civilians, 44 SF personnel and 82 terrorists. There was a total of 272 fatalities through 2023, including 48 civilians, 84 SF personnel, and 140 terrorists.
Terrorism-related fatalities in Bannu Division: 2000*-2024**
| Year | Incidents | Civilians | Security Forces | Militants | Not Specified (NS) | Total |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2005 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 53 | 5 | 85 |
| 2006 | 52 | 0 | 57 | 161 | 6 | 224 |
| 2007 | 94 | 24 | 106 | 259 | 71 | 460 |
| 2008 | 41 | 13 | 28 | 42 | 68 | 151 |
| 2009 | 62 | 45 | 38 | 245 | 9 | 337 |
| 2010 | 15 | 114 | 30 | 14 | 3 | 161 |
| 2011 | 12 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 49 |
| 2012 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 32 |
| 2013 | 22 | 27 | 23 | 34 | 0 | 84 |
| 2014 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 32 |
| 2015 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 52 |
| 2016 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 2018 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 0 | 56 |
| 2019 | 26 | 3 | 41 | 12 | 0 | 56 |
| 2020 | 32 | 14 | 41 | 59 | 0 | 114 |
| 2021 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 57 | 0 | 120 |
| 2022 | 87 | 16 | 77 | 169 | 0 | 262 |
| 2023 | 107 | 48 | 84 | 140 | 0 | 272 |
| 2024 | 93 | 38 | 70 | 122 | 4 | 234 |
| Total | 783 | 432 | 749 | 14,57 | 166 | 2,804 |
The Bannu Division has accounted for a total of 2,804 fatalities (432 civilians, 749 SF personnel, 1,457 terrorists, 166 Not Specified) since March 6, 2000, when SATP commenced compiling data on conflicts in Pakistan. These fatalities were recorded in 738 incidents of killing.
The district-wise distribution saw 1,701 fatalities in the North Waziristan District (107 civilians, 447 SF personnel, 991 terrorists, 156 Not Specified); 743 in the Bannu District (346 terrorists, 179 civilians, 209 SF personnel and nine Not Specified); and 362 in the Lakki Marwat District (148 civilians, 93 SF personnel, 102 terrorists and one Not Specified). [North Waziristan was an Agency of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) till May 28, 2018, when FATA was merged with KP.]
With a population of more than 1.17 million, Bannu is geo-strategically located at the Transport Hub of KP province. It is close to the western China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route that runs through KP province from the Port city of Karachi to Afghanistan. Due to its geographical location and proximity to Afghanistan, Bannu was once a British military base, used for action against Afghan border tribes. Bannu has borders with the east of the Khost Province of Afghanistan, and lies 35 kilometres east of North and South Waziristan, 127 kilometres south of Kohat and 143 kilometres north of Dera Ismail Khan. The neighbouring Districts of Kohat and Karak have proven reserves of oil and gas –– which means any transport of these hydrocarbons would have to pass through and be facilitated by Bannu District.
Due to its closeness to North Waziristan, a large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) migrated to Bannu after the start of the anti-terrorist Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Sword of Prophet) on June 15, 2014. About one million people fled North Waziristan and reached different parts of the KP province in the wake of the Operation, with about 0.8 million resettled in Bannu, in rented houses and in tented villages. With the influx of such a large number of people, the population of Bannu almost doubled, which has adversely affected the whole District. IDPs in the area are compelled to live in a state of deprivation, which had been exploited by extremist elements.
With the deteriorating law and situation in the region, thousands of people in Bannu gathered on July 18, 2024, to demand security and peace in their areas. Over 10,000 people waving white flags and calling for peace gathered for the rally, with protestors declaring that they were demonstrating because, “despite 20 years of military operations, stability had not been achieved, therefore, military actions could never be a substitute for peace.” The protesters criticized the rising tensions between the Pakistan Army and TTP, which have disrupted their lives. The protests turned violent and, according to the protesters, firing by SFs led to the deaths of four demonstrators and injuries to several others. On July 19, 2024, KP Government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif disclosed that the protest rally was organised in Bannu, demanding peace in the area, and was attended by a large number of people, representing social organisations, traders, and political parties.
On July 21, 2024, the Bannu Peace Jirga (council of elders), comprising 43 Tribal elders, presented 16 demands to the Government. The demands included the rejection of “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” in Bannu and the elimination of all Taliban bases, both of the ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Taliban. Additionally, they demanded an end to raids on religious seminaries and homes in the name of search operations. The jirga also sought the presentation of all ‘missing’ individuals in local courts, or public disclosure of their records. Furthermore, they demand that the Government enhance resources for the Police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), hand over authority to conduct operations against the Taliban in the District, and provide medical treatment at military-run hospitals to injured Police personnel.
On July 21, 2024, prompted by the Bannu Peace Jirga protest and demands, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur directed the Police to take strict action against armed individuals and their hideouts among surrendered Taliban, across the province. In a video message, he stated, “I ordered the Police to take stern action against them and their hideouts. Arrest them, and give them exemplary punishment.” Further, on July 24, 2024, Police raided three centres of ‘armed unofficial men’ (a euphemism for the Taliban who had surrendered to the state) in Bannu District, and arrested at least 17 members of armed militias. An unnamed senior Police officer disclosed that the location of these armed militias were pointed out by the Jirga in Bannu. Twelve men were arrested from the Maliar Markaz (Centre) in Muslimabad; and five from the Maulvi Ishaq Group at Bilal Markaz. The Jalil Group Markaz was found empty.
On July 25, in consultation with all stakeholders, the KP Apex Committee approved all demands of the Bannu Peace Committee. The Apex Committee decided civilian security forces, including the Police CTD, would lead the operation against militants in the province.
While addressing the gathering of the Bannu Peace Committee at Paredi Gate Chowk in Bannu on July 26, 2024, Chief Minister Gandapur briefed the people on the details of the Apex Committee meeting, announcing that he would not allow military operations in the province. He added that people of the province bore the brunt of the “wrong decisions” made in the past and noted, “As a chief minister, I announce that we will not allow any operation in this province. We will not shy away from shedding our blood for our country, but will make our decisions on our own”.
Reacting to the KP CM’s assertion that he would not allow any operation, the Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar asked Gandapur to tell the nation about his plan to eliminate terrorism in the province. Tarar added that the Chief Minister had to make such statements because he was answerable “to a man [Imran Khan] imprisoned in the Adiala Jail.”
The political tussle between the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) Federal Government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Province, over counter-terrorism operations has been brought out into the open with these statements.
Earlier, on June 29, 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif questioned the KP Government for its failure to establish a separate CTD, despite receiving PKR 590 billion over the past 14 years for this purpose. Responding to a point of order raised by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmaker Asad Qaiser, the Prime Minister highlighted that, under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, an additional one percent share was allocated for KP province to augment its efforts against terrorism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif added that the people of KP had been the frontline soldiers against terrorism, a fact that would always be remembered. He asserted that the additional one percent share for KP in NFC was still intact, and no other province, including Balochistan, received such funds, nor did they object to this allocation to KP, despite the immense sacrifices by their own law enforcement agencies and people against terrorism.
While, the political parties in power in the respective Federal and provincial government fight along party lines on counter-terrorism policy and responses, the terrorists are acting with increasing impunity, making the lives of the common people of the province immeasurably difficult.
- Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
