Attacks, clashes claim 3,448 lives in 2007
* PIPS report says visible increase in suicide attacks after Lal Masjid operation
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: The security situation in Pakistan remained highly unsatisfactory as terrorist attacks continued throughout 2007, resulting in 3,448 casualties from 1,503 attacks and clashes.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) security report for 2007, the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and continued attacks on army personnel question the effectiveness of the security forces.
The report states that around 1,503 attacks and clashes took place in 2007, leaving 3,448 people dead and 5,353 injured. These casualties figure 128 percent and 491.7 percent higher as compared with 2006 and 2005, respectively. It states that the sharp increase in terrorist attacks proves that the countrys security is rapidly deteriorating. It says the security forces are facing direct threats from the terrorists and looking helpless.
This helplessness was proven during 2007 with the deaths of 232 soldiers, 163 paramilitary troops and 71 policemen in terrorist attacks.
The report states that Pakistan faced 60 suicide attacks (mostly targeted at security forces) during 2007, which killed at least 770, besides injuring another 1,574 people.
Visible increase:
There was a visible increase in suicide attacks during and after Julys Lal Masjid operation. In July alone, 15 suicide attacks were reported in NWFP, Islamabad and Punjab, killing 191 and injuring another 366. The report states that as many as 12 political clashes took place during 2007, resulting in 64 deaths and 64 injuries.
According to PIPS, the lack of a security operation in the Tribal Areas has increased the risk of increased infiltration of militants into Afghanistan, besides increasing risk to the country itself. The threat of enhanced targeted suicide attacks on political and security forces also remains intact as no investigations in any suicide attack have ever been completed. The political unrest, if prevails, may consolidate the militant outfits in FATA and NWFP, and encourage the nationalist insurgents in Balochistan and Sindh, the report adds.
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