How militants used PUBG game features to attack a Pakistani police station | Foreign policy, defense and security news

How and why did the militants use PUBG?

Quoting the Swat district police officer, the report said that while authorities identified a person using a mobile phone, which could lead them to the insurgents, the attackers exploited PUBG's features to evade detection instead of using traditional communication methods.

According to the police official, the militants not only created a chatroom on PUBG to communicate and exchange messages, but they also played the game to “train and motivate their group members” to attack the state. The official added that tracking down and arresting the militants proved difficult initially as there was no direct evidence.

He also told the Pakistani newspaper that the militants were members of a local group called Murad alias Rehmatullah, which is linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The police official added that Murad, the leader of the group, as well as the family members of the other suspected militants were living in Afghanistan.

How did Pakistani authorities track down the militants?

According to the district police, an investigation was launched after the attack and the militants were tracked down by monitoring the video recordings of various surveillance cameras for hours.

According to the report, investigators initially focused on a motorcycle seen on CCTV footage passing in front of the police station shortly before the explosion. While investigators initially suspected that the attack on the police station was carried out with a hand grenade, the Swat District Police Officer later clarified that this was not the case.

Instead, the militants used an “improvised explosive device” made from a power bank, which is commonly used to charge mobile phones, according to the official. The official added that at least one of the suspected militants was eventually tracked down through several surveillance footages.

During the investigation, the accused reportedly revealed the identities of two other suspected militants, who were subsequently arrested. The investigation also revealed that they avoided using common communication methods and frequently changed their mobile phones and SIM cards.

The police official also noted that the family members of the suspected militants were involved in militant activities and were wanted by Pakistani law enforcement agencies. He added that the families of the suspected militants escaped from Operation Rah-i-Rast, a military campaign against militants in the Swat area in 2009. He estimated that around 2,000 militant families from the Swat area are currently living in Afghanistan.

First published: September 16, 2024 | 4:54 p.m. IS