PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on Tuesday said that terrorism incidents had dropped by 65 per cent across the province during the Erst six months of the current year compared to the corresponding period of 2013.

A meeting chaired by KP police chief Nasir Khan Durrani at Central Police Office here was informed that 99 incidents of terrorism occurred in the first half of 2016 whereas the number of terrorism incidents reported in the corresponding period of years 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 281, 292 and 134, respectively.

It shows a decrease of 65 per cent in the number of terrorism incidents in 2016 compared to 2013 and a decrease of 26 per cent compared to that of 2015, according to a statement issued here.

It was revealed that the terrorists and miscreants had been adopting various methods, including IED attacks, vehicle-borne IED attacks, suicide attacks, vehicle-borne suicide attacks, hand grenades, missiles/rockets and firing for realisa-tion of their sinister designs.

The statement said that means employed most frequently for sabotage activities included planting IED and resorting to firing. It said that the four-year study depicted that IED attacl(s had drastically decreased in the current year. During the current year, 36 IED attacks took place whereas the number of such attacks reported in years 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 183, 143 and 53, respectively.

The overall decrease in IED attackshasbeen80percentin2016 compare d to 2013 and 2015. Also, novehicle-borne IED attack took place in 2015 and 2016.

During the current year three suicide attacks took place whereas the number of such attacl(s reported in 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 13, eight and three, respectively. It said that no vehicle-borne suicide attack, missile attack and rocket attack had been reported in2016. During current year, 49 firing attacks took place whereas the number of such incidents reported in 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 57, 79 and 47, respectively. The overall decrease in ñring incidents has been 38 per cent in 2016 compared to that of 2014.

During the current year 11 hand grenade attacks took place whereas the number of such attacks reported in 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 14, 46 and 26, respectively.

Additional IGP of Counter Terrorism Department told the meeting that 534 cases of terrorismhad been traced so far and 924 militants arrested in these cases. He said that 97 proclaimed offenders involved in terrorism cases had also been arrested.

According to the statement, during the current year Mardan region has been the focus of militant activities, as all the three major terrorist incidents, including attacks on Bacha Khan University, Shabgadar courts and Nadra office, took place there. It said that all these cases had been traced and some arrests were also made.