(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
In a significant operation, the Counter terrorism Department (CTD), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has dismantled a major Network involved in recruiting people for banned organizations, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS, in Peshawar. The CTD has filed 22 cases against 55 facilitators, with 39 already arrested. These individuals were charged with facilitating terrorists and spreading hatred against the state and security forces. Investigation into 13 cases has been completed, while 11 more are still under inquiry.
This year, the CTD has arrested 19 facilitators linked to TTP, 5 to ISIS, and 1 associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed. A CTD report revealed that in a densely populated area of Peshawar, a suspect was supplying food, transport, and extorted money to an ISIS commander. Another individual was apprehended while encouraging people to join ISIS, with six ISIS booklets found in his possession. A third facilitator was arrested on the outskirts of Peshawar while distributing pamphlets and collecting funds for the organization. In addition, two other facilitators, including a high-profile wanted militant, were captured while planning attacks on security forces in Peshawar.
CTD has also taken action against those involved in anti-state propaganda and promoting hatred against security forces through social media, arresting individuals who were luring people towards TTP through online platforms. In another case, a facilitator linked to TTP, who provided critical information about the movement of security forces, was captured.
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A breakthrough occurred when CTD arrested a facilitator in a suburban area, leading to the discovery of a terrorist hideout in a basement. The subsequent operation resulted in the arrest of militants, although some resisted and were killed during a gunfight.
Furthermore, facilitators promoting TTP in local madrassas in Peshawar have also been arrested, along with individuals extorting money and sharing confidential information with the group. A Jaish-e-Mohammed facilitator, who was actively recruiting members and collecting donations, was also taken into custody in the region.
Senior journalist Haq Nawaz, who reports on militancy and conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan, emphasized that the primary challenge in the ongoing war on terrorism is the presence of sympathizers. While no militant organization currently claims full control over any specific area, the real issue lies in the facilitators. Nawaz stressed the need for coordinated actions by the CTD, security forces, and intelligence agencies, along with the use of technology, social media monitoring, and human intelligence to counter these threats.
He further stated that banned organizations continue to use various platforms for extortion and advancing their agendas, making it essential to gain the trust of the public to identify and reach more of these elements.
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