Militants reportedly applied features introduced in the popular video game PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds (PUBG) to carry out an attack on Banr police station in Swat on August 28, according to senior officials. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of a police officer and left two others wounded.
Authorities revealed that militants utilized PUBG’s chat room for communication, avoiding traditional methods and electronic surveillance, which made tracking them challenging. Swat District Police Officer (DPO), Dr. Zahidullah, stated that the attackers never used common forms of communication like phone calls but instead relied on the in-game chat feature to coordinate their activities.
“The militants played PUBG not only to communicate but to practice and motivate each other for their battle against the state,” said DPO Zahidullah. Investigators traced one of the suspects after scrutinizing hours of CCTV footage. While initially focusing on a motorbike seen near the police station moments before the explosion, authorities later determined that the attackers used an improvised explosive device (IED) made from a power bank, rather than a grenade.
The breakthrough in the case came when one of the suspects was identified through CCTV footage. This led to the arrest of two additional individuals linked to the Murad alias Rehmatullah group, a faction affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group allegedly maintained contact with its leader, Murad, and other family members residing in Afghanistan.
Dr. Zahidullah also noted that the militants’ families were involved in militant activities and had escaped the 2009 military operation, Rah-i-Rast, in Swat. “Around 2,000 families of militants from Swat are currently residing in Afghanistan,” he added.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the attack, which has shed light on the evolving methods used by militants, including their use of modern technology to evade law enforcement.
