AVinayKumar
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Circling the Lion's Den: Counting dead militants in Pakistan
While the debate on the accuracy of figures detailing the number of militants and civilians killed in drone strikes in Pakistan continues, it is worth taking a look at the reported figures for militants killed in clashes with the Pakistani Army. After all, most of these figures originate with the same ISI officers who brief local journalists on drone casualty figures.
I have been perplexed for some time by the figures for militants killed in clashes with the Pakistani Army and Airforce. If accurate, then given the massive attrition these figures suggest, it is surprising that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan can still find anyone willing to fight for it. True, there are tensions within the TTP at present, with deputy emir Maulvi Faqir Mohammad from Bajaur being sacked from his job this week because he had been engaged in peace talks with the military. However, the number of deaths as reported in the Pakistani press beggar belief.
Newspaper reports for December 2011 indicate that at least 161 militants were killed by Pakistani forces in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). There were no drone strikes during this period. For January this year, the figures suggest at least 119 militants were killed and dozens more injured. Most of the reports suggest that numerous hideouts were also destroyed. For February, the figures, excluding drone strikes, suggest at least 216 militants were killed. An army officer was quoted as saying that more than 700 militants have been killed and 500 sustained injuries in the ongoing military action in Orakzai Agency alone. The same source said 71 soldiers had been killed and 150 injured in the fighting.
Thus in the last three months - and accepting that these figures are not complete - a reported 496 militants, mostly members of the TTP or Lashkar-e-Islam, have been killed in military action in the FATA region of Pakistan. A similar number have been injured. Can this be possible? If so, it certainly confirms FATA as more of a battlefield than southern Afghanistan, for example, where reported deaths of militants are much lower. Either that, or the official figures are suspect. You decide.
While the debate on the accuracy of figures detailing the number of militants and civilians killed in drone strikes in Pakistan continues, it is worth taking a look at the reported figures for militants killed in clashes with the Pakistani Army. After all, most of these figures originate with the same ISI officers who brief local journalists on drone casualty figures.
I have been perplexed for some time by the figures for militants killed in clashes with the Pakistani Army and Airforce. If accurate, then given the massive attrition these figures suggest, it is surprising that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan can still find anyone willing to fight for it. True, there are tensions within the TTP at present, with deputy emir Maulvi Faqir Mohammad from Bajaur being sacked from his job this week because he had been engaged in peace talks with the military. However, the number of deaths as reported in the Pakistani press beggar belief.
Newspaper reports for December 2011 indicate that at least 161 militants were killed by Pakistani forces in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). There were no drone strikes during this period. For January this year, the figures suggest at least 119 militants were killed and dozens more injured. Most of the reports suggest that numerous hideouts were also destroyed. For February, the figures, excluding drone strikes, suggest at least 216 militants were killed. An army officer was quoted as saying that more than 700 militants have been killed and 500 sustained injuries in the ongoing military action in Orakzai Agency alone. The same source said 71 soldiers had been killed and 150 injured in the fighting.
Thus in the last three months - and accepting that these figures are not complete - a reported 496 militants, mostly members of the TTP or Lashkar-e-Islam, have been killed in military action in the FATA region of Pakistan. A similar number have been injured. Can this be possible? If so, it certainly confirms FATA as more of a battlefield than southern Afghanistan, for example, where reported deaths of militants are much lower. Either that, or the official figures are suspect. You decide.
