RAWALPINDI – Pakistan Army has launched ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad’ across the country to root out terrorism without any discrimination, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Wednesday.
“The operation aims at indiscriminately eliminating residual or latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders,” the ISPR statement added.
Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces (CAF) and other security and law enforcing agencies (LEAs) will continue to actively participate and intimately support the efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.
The effort entails conduct of Broad Spectrum Security and Counter-Terrorism (CT) operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus on more effective border security management.
Pak Army launches ‘Op Radd-ul-Fasaad’ (رَدُّالفَسَاد) across the country. Rangers ops in Pb, cont ongoing ops elsewhere. Pursuance of NAP. pic.twitter.com/sibMpV7Vby
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 22, 2017
“Country wide de-weaponisation and explosive control are additional cardinals of the effort. Pursuance of National Action Plan will be the hallmark of this operation,” the military’s media wing said.
The announcement followed a meeting between Chief of Armed Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, Punjab corps commanders, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) DG, and the heads of intelligence agencies.
‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad’
The countrywide military operation – ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad’, or ‘Elimination of evils’ – has been launched days after a series of deadly militant attacks killed more than 115 people across Pakistan in just over a week, including civilians, policemen and soldiers.
At least 15 people were killed and 85 others wounded when a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar bomber hit a protest of chemists and pharmaceuticals manufacturers on Lahore’s Mall Road last Monday, February 13. At least six police officials were killed in the blast.
On February 15, at least one person was killed and 18, including two women and civil judges, were injured after a bomb blast exploded targeting a van of judges near Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar.
On February 16, a massive blast hit Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan Sharif killing over 90 people and injuring more than 300 others.
On February 21, at least eight people were killed while 20 others were left injured as law enforcement personnel foiled a massive terror bid in Charsadda city.
This is the worst spell of violence since 2014, when Pakistan Army launched the operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ to eliminate militant sanctuaries in its north-western tribal region.
‘Operation Zarb-e-Azb’
Since the inception on June 15th, 2014, the full-scale military offensive resulted in 40-45% decline in terror-related incidents in Pakistan, as per precise security reports.
The operation is named as Zarb-e Azab.‘Azb’ refers to one of the seven swords of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that was he carried along in the Ghazwaz of Uhad and Badr to strike hard infidels.
Many global and domestic security portals saw operation Zarb-e-Azb as an instrument of peace in country. There is long list of various military, civil leaders and forums across the globe that generously acknowledged and praised the success of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
The Global terrorism index (GTI) 2015, complied by the international research group the Institute for Economics and Peace, analyses impact of terrorism on global community. The report conceded success of Zarb-e-Azb and stated “Pakistan was the only country in the ten most impacted countries that saw a decline in deaths and accordingly it dropped from third to fourth.”
Thanks to Zarb-e-Azb, the number of civilian fatalities in terrorist violence shrank from horrible four digit figure to triple digit within launch of one year. In 2013, before Zarb-e-Azb , 3001 civilians killed in terrorist violence. In 2015, the causalities decreased to 532 to 308 in 2016.
The facts released by the ISPR on the two year completion of the operation Zarb-e-azb are self-explanatory to manifest the success of the operation.
Over 4,000 square kilometers of land in North Waziristan, including the most treacherous and rugged terrain of Shawal, has been cleared of terrorists, which included 900 terrorists of proscribed militant organization Lashkar-e-Islam.
The valiant Pakistan Army successfully carried out 19000 Intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were carried out which were based on interrogation and lead generations.
Pakistan Army also seized around 243 tons of explosives, enough to make IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) for 17 years, shut down 7,500 bomb factories, and a total of 3500 terrorists were killed, wiped out 992 safe havens and sanctuaries of terrorists.
Our 4900 soldiers including 17 officers embraced sacred status of martyrdom, and over 2000 valiant Ghazis wounded during the past two years.
The military offensive also accentuated positive effect on Pakistan’s security, stability and progress. The mega project of $ 42 billion CPEC was initiated after satisfactory security situation in Pakistan.
Now, the nation hopes this new military offensive ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fassad’ will help Pakistan rid of terrorism once and for all.
