The Leftover weapons of US-Afghan war can keep the insurgency in the region alive for 15 years. A high rank security official in the provincial capital Peshawar revealed that the militants associated with banned terrorist outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP and others have got modern warfare like night vision thermal imaging and long-range sniper guns previously unavailable with them, saying the bulk has been left behind by the US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan post August 15 withdrawal. He said TTP is working on three prolonged strategies i.e. men-material-money, so security forces are countering all these three fronts. He said TTP has been badly hit in their men-recruiting due to strong response against them by civil society besides hundreds of its militants have been killed and arrested by the security forces. He however confessed that TTP has succeeded in acquiring material-advanced military hardware most of which was left behind by the US forces in Afghanistan and that weapons-ammo is of such a large scale that if thrown into the hands of the militants, would be enough for 15 years of insurgency.
“This advanced US military hardware has given the militants-TTP an edge in those combats because the police have traditional outdated military gears” said the official. He said alone in January 2023, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the militants carried out a total of 80 attacks 62 of which were against security forces resulting in over 100 deaths. “Most of the attacks were in southern Pakhtunkhwa which share the border or located in close proximity to the Afghanistan border” said the official.
What are the sources and means of funding for such large scale terrorism? Extortion and ransom money said the official. “As per official records an amount of 1063 million was demanded by the militants in 2022” revealed the official. He confessed the extortion money demands may have been many times more as many people don’t lodge complaints by the police due to various reasons.
Meanwhile on Friday, in an introductory meeting with the senior media persons at CPO Peshawar, the newly-appointed Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said there are multiple security challenges which he is working on. He said the counter terrorism department would be revamped, top cops and technical experts would be transferred to CTD. “Re-organization of the CTD and Special Branch would be my topmost priority and all the resources like advance military gears, training and technology gadgets would be provided to the forces fighting the militants” The IGP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said.
