PESHAWAR: Increasing terrorist activity by Khawarij militants in Tirah Valley has raised alarm in Peshawar, authorities say.
The group, Fitna al-Khawarij, has reportedly resumed attacks targeting Peshawar through its networks in Tirah. The valley lies approximately 70 kilometers from Peshawar, a two-hour drive under normal conditions.
Officials said Afghan Khawarij militants involved in the November 24 attack on the Federal Constabulary Headquarters in Peshawar used the Tirah route. On November 25, militants who targeted a gas pipeline in Hasan Khel, Peshawar, with an IED also entered via Tirah. Historically, the late militant leader Hakimullah Mehsud maintained his operational base in Tirah for years.
Hakimullah Mehsud conducted attacks across the tribal areas, Peshawar, and other parts of Pakistan from Tirah. Recent investigations indicate that Afghan nationals involved in multiple recent attacks maintain links with networks based in Tirah.
Sources said the planning of the 2014 APS attack was also carried out from secret centers in Tirah. They warned that the number of militants in the valley is rising again, and local networks involved in narcotics are increasingly active.
Also Read: Forces kill 22 militants in DI khan area of KP
The Director General of ISPR has previously highlighted the strong link between drug trafficking and terrorism. Officials warn that if these growing alliances in Tirah are not dismantled, terrorist incidents in Peshawar could increase. Immediate and effective action by the provincial government is needed to prevent further attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
