Pakistan militant attacks surge by 34 percent

WEB DESK: A new annual study indicates that Pakistan experienced a significant surge in militant violence during the past year, with the number of terrorist attacks rising by 34 percent and related fatalities increasing by 21 percent compared to the preceding year.

The findings, detailed in the “Pakistan Security Report” released by the independent Islamabad-based research organisation Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), document a total of 699 terrorist attacks nationwide over the twelve-month period. These incidents, covered by Dawn, resulted in at least 1,034 deaths and 1,366 injuries, continuing an upward trend in militant activity observed in recent years.

The report notes that security forces bore the heaviest burden of the violence. Personnel from the military, police, and paramilitary units accounted for over 42 percent of all terrorism-related fatalities, with 437 lives lost. This statistic reflected the persistent targeting of state security apparatus. Civilian casualties remained high, with 354 non-combatants killed.

An estimated 243 militants were reported killed, either in the course of carrying out attacks or during subsequent operations by state forces.

The conflict remained highly concentrated geographically, with over 95 percent of all recorded attacks taking place in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) witnessed the highest number of incidents in the country, with 413 attacks marking a 40 percent annual increase. These attacks caused 581 fatalities and 698 injuries. The report highlights the entrenched presence of groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates, noting a trend toward more complex, coordinated operations. Balochistan saw 254 militant attacks, a 26 percent annual rise, resulting in 419 deaths and 607 injuries. The report describes an evolution in insurgent tactics, with groups like the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) executing more sophisticated operations—including highway blockades and direct assaults on infrastructure, aimed at economic disruption and political messaging. A total of 21 terrorist attacks were recorded in Sindh, 16 of which occurred in Karachi. These incidents led to 14 deaths and 17 injuries. A major suicide bombing outside a judicial complex in Islamabad claimed 12 lives, an attack claimed by a faction of the TTP while in G-B, three attacks were reported, resulting in the deaths of three security personnel.

The PIPS analysis concluded that alongside persistent cross-border tensions and militant regrouping, evolving operational tactics in KP and Balochistan are contributing to a broadening and intensifying security challenge for the state.