Pakistan ramps up military operations amid surge in violent attacks

Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani military has said it carried out major “intelligence-based operations” over the weekend, eliminating eight individuals in two separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It claimed the men killed in the operations were involved in violent activities.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – the military’s media wing – said the operations took place in the Bannu and Khyber districts. Two military personnel were also killed in the operations.

The military’s actions against the armed groups come at a time when more and more Pakistanis are dying in a growing spate of violent attacks. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), there were at least 71 attacks by armed groups in November, most of which took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with security forces reporting the deaths of at least 127 fighters.

The number of attacks in 2024 has already surpassed last year’s total, with more than 856 incidents recorded until November compared with 645 in 2023. These attacks resulted in more than 1,000 deaths, including those of civilians and law enforcement personnel.

One of the deadliest attacks took place on November 9, when a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a railway station in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. Nearly 30 people were killed, including civilians and soldiers waiting for their trains.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group fighting for the independence of resource-rich Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA has long waged an armed rebellion against the Pakistani government, alleging that Islamabad unfairly exploits the province’s natural resources, particularly its gas and minerals.

Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government had approved a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist groups, although no details were provided.

The announcement follows a similar pledge five months ago, when the government launched a military campaign Azm-e-Istehkam, meaning “resolve for stability” in Urdu, in June.

However, despite multiple campaigns over the years, analysts argue that the government faces significant constraints, preventing these operations from fully materialising on the ground.

Lacking money and local support

Amir Rana, a security analyst and director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), said the government is aware of the two primary obstacles: the financial cost of large-scale military operations and the political consequences on the ground.

“The biggest concern is the lack of financial resources to conduct a major offensive,” Rana told Al Jazeera.

Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said Pakistani security forces have shifted their focus from large-scale military offensives to intelligence-based operations in recent years.

“This change in strategy is largely due to the absence of permanent Pakistan Taliban bases, which makes large-scale operations ineffective and potentially harmful to civilians,” Tipu told Al Jazeera, referring to the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, an offshoot of the Taliban in Afghanistan that emerged in 2007 intending to impose Islamic law and wage war against the Pakistani military.

The military has conducted several large-scale operations against the TTP, leading to massive internal displacement amid allegations of human rights violations by both the armed group and the military.

“Pakistani security forces need state-of-the-art technology, such as communication interceptions, aerial surveillance using advanced drones, and timely ground intelligence,” Tipu, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a security research portal, said.

But the timely ground intelligence that such operations rely on represents a challenge for the military at a time when it often lacks support from local populations, said Tipu.

Abdul Sayed, a researcher based in Sweden with a focus on armed rebellion and conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan, also pointed out that while several key TTP commanders have been killed in these operations, the group has shown resilience in continuing to launch attacks on Pakistani soil.

“For example, in August 2024, the TTP claimed responsibility for over 200 attacks in a single month, a number that rose to 263 in July,” Sayed told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security establishment has been under increased pressure from the Chinese — who have suffered several attacks on their citizens as well as installations in the country — to do more to stop the attacks, even as the military has been distracted by the country’s political tumult.

Last week, thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party stormed the capital, Islamabad, demanding the release of their leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023.

Khan, who served as prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022, when he was ousted through a parliamentary no-confidence vote, has accused the military of orchestrating his removal — a charge it has refuted. The military was called in last week to help disperse the protesters from Islamabad.

Tipu from The Khorasan Diary argued that Pakistan’s reliance on the military to address political issues in the country was part of the problem — particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, two provinces heavily affected by armed rebellion.

“Effective counterterrorism efforts require active engagement from civilian authorities. They must take the lead in addressing the issue while balancing security concerns with social engagement and economic development,” Tipu added.

Sayed said while Pakistan’s security forces are leading operations against armed groups, the leadership’s response to the escalating violence and rising casualties, including those of officers, had been insufficient.

“The focus of both the government and security leadership remains primarily on domestic political rivalries, which undermines the development and implementation of a coherent strategy to tackle the escalating security threats,” he said.

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