As the military operation in North Waziristan continues, it appears the much-dreaded blowback has made a beginning. Militants targeted two military facilities in Quetta late on Thursday — the PAF’s Samungli base as well as the Khalid base — in what appeared to be a coordinated operation.

Luckily, security forces acted in time and a major disaster was averted; at least 10 assailants were killed and the destruction witnessed during similar past episodes was not repeated. On Friday, the Ghalib Mehsud faction of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the assault while the Balochistan home minister told the media that most of the assailants appeared to be Uzbek.

Both of these developments — the TTP’s involvement and the use of Uzbek fighters — are cause for concern. They would signify that Islamist militants are making their presence felt in Balochistan and that the security forces have failed to prevent the flight of terrorists from North Waziristan.

As it is, Balochistan faces militancy of different hues, including the Baloch separatist insurgency and the activities of sectarian terrorist outfits. It would only worsen matters if the TTP and Uzbek militants decided to focus on the province which has largely remained free of Taliban-related terrorism, although the TTP does wield some influence in Balochistan.

The banned group has a presence in the province’s Pakhtun areas while Uzbek militants have reportedly been operating in Quetta’s outskirts and Mastung. The militants also have the support of local sectarian groups.

The Quetta attacks show that while TTP fighters may now be scattered and much of their infrastructure in North Waziristan may be reduced to rubble, they are far from a spent force. Their operational capability to cause widespread havoc remains very much intact.

If we add the Uzbek dimension, matters get even more complex as militants from this background have participated in some of the country’s most high-profile terrorist attacks — including the storming of the Karachi airport in June — and have a well-earned reputation for ferocity.

The situation demands two major responses from the state: firstly, the military must ensure that the operation in the tribal belt is thorough and that militants are not able to escape, regroup and then re-launch themselves.

Secondly, the intelligence agencies need to remain alert about more possible blowback attacks in the cities. The state — preoccupied as it is with political manoeuvring these days — must not forget about the threat terrorism continues to pose to Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014