Pakistan: Four terrorists killed in Punjab province on May 15

Event

Four terrorists were killed in Punjab province’s Khanewal district on Monday, May 15, during a raid on their hideout by a Counter Terrorism Department team. Eight suspects belonging to banned terrorist organizations reportedly opened fire on security forces before blowing themselves up with explosives; three died in the blast, while another one was killed by security fires. The remaining four were presumably arrested. It is unclear to which group the militants belonged.

Context

Extremist Islamist groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country, carrying out attacks despite an army offensive launched in 2014 to push them out of their northwestern strongholds, located near the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan suffered a number of deadly attacks earlier in the year. Four convicted terrorists were sentenced to death by hanging by military courts on Wednesday, May 10. All four were active members of the outlawed terrorist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They were found guilty of a number of violent offences including terrorism, the killing of innocent civilians, attacking a mosque, destruction of communication infrastructure, and attacking law enforcement agencies and armed forces.

The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Islamic State (IS) have perpetrated several attacks over the past few months. These attacks have taken place primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Tribal Areas, Peshawar, and Lahore.

Advice

Due to the high threat of terrorism (as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence), individuals present in Pakistan are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities. To reduce the risk of kidnapping, individuals should avoid falling into daily routines (i.e. vary the times and routes of travel) to avoid becoming a predictable and vulnerable target. Some Western governments advise their citizens against travel to Pakistan, where foreign nationals, in particular Westerners, may be directly targeted.