Pakistan on Monday saw its deadliest attack in several years, as a suicide bomber infiltrated the heavily guarded city headquarters in Peshawar and detonated himself during afternoon prayers at a mosque. The attack claimed the lives of dozens of police officers and a civilian.
The officers have expressed shock and frustration over the continuous loss of their colleagues and feel abandoned in their fight against rising militancy in the region, news agency AFP reported.
"The state has tied our hands and thrown us to the beasts," a junior officer told AFP.
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The lack of leadership and bickering politicians have created a space for terrorists to regroup and target the state, according to analysts. The biggest threat comes from the Pakistani Taliban, who have resurged since the Taliban came to power across the border in August 2021. The TTP has attempted to rebrand themselves as a less brutal outfit, avoiding civilians in favor of targeting security and police personnel in low casualty assaults. The police attributed Monday's attack to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a more radical group occasionally affiliated with the TTP, who denies any involvement.
The officers are protesting in Peshawar, frustrated with the deepening risks they are facing. They are constantly unsure of where they might be targeted and hug their loved ones before leaving their homes, not knowing if they will come back alive. The TTP continues to resort to its old methods, such as targeted assassinations, bombs, kidnappings, and extortion, as they regroup along the border. Peace negotiations between the TTP and Pakistan, mediated by the Afghan Taliban, fell through in November, shattering a shaky ceasefire. The Federal Cabinet announced that the police and anti-terror section in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be reorganized, better trained, and better equipped.
However, some in Peshawar are resigned to a cycle of violence being here to stay.
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"I have already spent half my life witnessing a bloodbath," a bereaved brother-in-law of a police officer who lost his life in the attack told AFP. "But I still don't have the slightest hope of ever seeing peace in this town."
The recent attack on the city headquarters in Peshawar has left police officers feeling vulnerable and abandoned in their fight against rising militancy in the region. The suicide bomber managed to infiltrate the heavily guarded complex, which also housed intelligence and counter-terrorism offices, and detonated himself during afternoon prayers at a mosque.
The lack of leadership and bickering politicians have created a space for terrorists to regroup and target the state. The biggest threat comes from the Pakistani Taliban, who have resurged since the Taliban came to power across the border in August 2021. The TTP has attempted to rebrand themselves as a less brutal outfit, targeting security and police personnel in low casualty assaults instead of civilians.
The officers are protesting in Peshawar, frustrated with the deepening risks they face. They leave their homes unsure of where they might be targeted next and hug their loved ones, not knowing if they will come back alive. The TTP continues to resort to its old methods, such as targeted assassinations, bombs, kidnappings, and extortion, as they regroup along the border.
The Federal Cabinet has announced that the police and anti-terror section in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be reorganized, better trained, and better equipped. However, some in Peshawar are resigned to a cycle of violence being here to stay. A bereaved brother-in-law of a police officer who lost his life in the attack said, "I have already spent half my life witnessing a blood
