Covid-19: A Lucky Chance for Terrorists

The current pandemic has come as an opportunity for terrorist organizations to enhance their operational capabilities and expand their influence. While the world is busy fighting the virus that has brought everything to a standstill, terrorist networks, exploiting the situation, has embarked on a trajectory of strengthening their foothold in fragile regions such as Afghanistan and some parts of Pakistan. 

The latest attack on the maternity hospital in Afganistan on May 12 sent many people into a shock. The incident was gut-wrenching as many newborn babies were killed and maimed by terrorists to showcase their influence and power in the country. Given that the Kabul government is already occupied in dealing with the twin problems – the outbreak of the virus and the intra-Afghan peace process – the incident came as a bolt from the blue. It shook the state and the world alike. It further cast doubt on the credibility of the Doha peace deal, which had ensured that at least temporary peace would follow in Afghanistan. The experts also believe that ISIS could be behind this violence as the Taliban outrightly denied the responsibility. If it were to be true, it would cause genuine problems for the government in Kabul and the regional countries alike. 

Also, in Pakistan, the militants are trying to gain back their lost influence in their native regions. Many reports have surfaced on the media warning that the terrorists could infiltrate the Pak-Afghan border to reclaim the gone territories. Many militias are already operating discreetly in the merged tribal districts of KPK. In particular, North and South Waziristan could be most affected in this regard. Other hotspots of insurgency are in Balochistan, where the insurgents could permeate through the Pak-Iran border. Accompanied by external spoilers and underdevelopment in the province, they may exploit the situation to ramp up attacks against the security personnel. In this vein, there have occurred a couple of incidents wherein the soldiers have become victims in this month. In one recent attack, five soldiers, including a major, were targeted in Balochistan. 

To conclude, these global testing times may have come as a blessing in guise for many terrorist outfits and external spoilers. They would, no doubt, use the pandemic as a lucky chance to bolster their power and supremacy. Hence in the post-pandemic period, the world as a whole will be at perils unless the global community seriously ponders over a global ceasefire, as suggested by the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres of late.