TTP Terrorists Attacked DI Khan Jail: Curfew Imposed

By Zaheerul Hassan

Almost 50 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists rocked Central Jail, Radio Station and Hospital at mid night of 29 and 30 July, in a coordinated attack. Intelligence circle revealed that at least 300 prisoners including 45 hardcore militants involved in serious crimes on the run after breaking the Jail.  During these attacks 12 persons including four police men embraced Shahdat and 13 sustained serious injuries. TTP accepted the responsibility of attacking the jail.  In this regard newly appointed TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid has said that around 100 militants took part in the attack including a number of suicide bombers among them. However, Commissioner DI Khan confirmed that 483 prisoners were presents and out of these 250 run away. Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed as Army and Police are taking on the terrorists on the run.  DI Khan which is near the bordering town of Tank adjacent to volatile South Waziristan Agency, the headquarter of the TTP and al Qaeda militants.

Heavily armed militants in police uniform have entered in the Central Jail and started firing, coordinated with almost 10 blasts at different places around the jail and other parts of the city. The militants attacked the prison from different sides and managed to make their way in from the Vegetable Market side near Government Girls Degree College D I Khan. Notably, it is not the first such type of attack in KPK (North western province of the country). Similar incident in 2012 where hundreds of terrorists were freed by 150 men suicide squad that attacked Bannu prison, among them were some of the ‘most wanted’. In Bannu jail attack, hundreds of militants including Adnan Rasheed, a key Taliban figure involved in a life attempt on former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf were freed. Radia Station Dera and Rehmania Hospitals have also been attacked by suicide bombers, and according to eye-witnesses, assault teams of terrorists are trying to make strong holds in the locations they have attacked. ISPR confirmed that the Pakistan Army units were dispatched to assist the police after militants carrying heavy weapons stormed on   Jail. The militants targeted police vehicles with hand grenades, mortar, rocket launchers and socials. It is also mentionable here that on July 24, 2013, terrorists attacked ISI Headquarter located in Barrage Colony, in which five people were killed and forty injured in five consecutive explosions. During that attack Deputy Director Zeeshan and another security element were martyred. In addition two of the deceased were ranger’s personnel and one was identified to be a commissioner house gardener’s son. According to reliable sources RAW targeted sensitive sub headquarter of supreme intelligence agency.

Central Prison in Dera Ismail Khan City is situated close to the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. More than 17 RAW’s detachments under the cover of consulates have been established all along Afghanistan border. These detachments with the help of Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS, Pashto: د ملي امنیت ریاست Dari: ریاست امنیت ملی, also referred to as Amniyat or Amaniyat) is providing training, money and manpower in launching terrorist in bordered area of FATA and Balochistan. Pakistan has number of times asked government of Afghanistan to stop infiltration of terrorists and hand over the criminal TTP who have been apprehended in February this year.

Anyhow, the narrated incidents clearly indicate that same tactics have been used in militancy of D I Khan, Bannu and Sukker, which simply means that the attacks were planned and launched through properly trained militants by the same masher mind behind it.  Political ruling elite must think that such incidents serve as a severe trauma to the whole nation and shatter the trust despite rendering tremendous sacrifices in cowardly terror strikes by these militants, who were caught by miracles and let off by incompetence. Therefore, it is the need of the time that foreign sponsored militancy should be dealt with iron hands.  The whole nation and political leaders should get united on one page to remove this evil of terrorism instead avoiding military option in the name of negotiations.   The government, without further delay and wasting time should hold all parties conference to frame solid national security policy since the foreign sponsored terrorists only understand the bullet’s language. The judicial systems instead keep on crying for missing person should display courage while giving speedy decisions against the militants. International community should also force Afghan government to fence the border with Pakistan; it will definitely help in controlling free move of Taliban both side sides of the international border.

The writer can be approach through zameer36@gmail.com