In the wake of a recent surge in violence that resulted in the deaths of five security personnel, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a new military operation targeting militants in the Kurram district. The decision follows multiple attacks on Monday that threaten to destabilize the fragile peace established after months of conflict and a subsequent ceasefire agreement, which had brought a temporary halt to violence that claimed approximately 130 lives.
The sole road connecting Thall to Parachinar, a crucial artery linking Upper Kurram with the rest of the country, has been closed due to ongoing attacks. Following a ceasefire agreed upon earlier this year between rival factions, aid convoys have been dispatched to the region under strict security measures. According to sources, an aid convoy, consisting of several trucks, entered Lower Kurram through the Chapri Gate on Monday. As the convoy, escorted by police and security agencies, traveled along the Thall-Parachinar road, it came under heavy fire near Mandori, close to Uchat Kalle.
In response, security personnel engaged the attackers, supported by military gunship helicopters conducting shelling in surrounding areas. The exchange of gunfire persisted for two hours, resulting in the death of one soldier and injuries to seven others, including a police officer, two truck drivers, and four civilians. Later in the evening, a second assault occurred as security forces attempted to secure stranded aid trucks from looting. During this attack, assailants targeted a Frontier Corps officer’s vehicle, injuring five personnel, though the officer himself emerged unscathed.
At approximately 8:30 PM, a quick response unit from the Frontier Corps, dispatched to evacuate the wounded, was ambushed near a government high school in Uchat Kalle. This confrontation led to the deaths of four Frontier Corps members and the destruction of three vehicles. The number of casualties among the attackers remains unclear.
Truck driver Gul Faraz, who was caught in the attack, claimed that announcements urging attacks on vehicles were made through mosque loudspeakers. Another driver, Akram Khan, alleged that local residents were responsible for the assault. Provincial government sources suggest that militants might be exploiting the situation, with terrorists reportedly present in both Upper and Lower Kurram.
In light of these developments, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has resolved to launch another operation in the Mandori and Uchat areas to eradicate militants. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, attended by the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), and the Provincial Police Chief. Before the operation, local residents will be relocated to safety. Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif emphasized the need for tribal elders to cooperate by surrendering miscreants to the government, acknowledging the failure of peace committees to curb militant activities.
Meanwhile, two roadside bombings in Dera Ismail Khan and Bajaur have claimed three lives, including two security personnel. Security sources reported that an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated on a roadside in Kulachi as a security convoy entered the area. In Bajaur, a civilian was killed by an IED explosion while passing through the region.
These incidents occur amidst ongoing efforts to restore peace and intensify operations against terrorism in the region.
