Terrorist attacks in Pakistan fall 37 per cent in October, PICSS says
Pakistan recorded 143 terrorist attacks in October, down from 226 in September, according to the PICSS think tank. Deaths from attacks fell 57 per cent to 111.
- Attacks fell 37 per cent, from 226 in September to 143 in October.
- Deaths from attacks fell from 260 to 111; injuries fell from 242 to 69.
- Kidnappings in terrorist-related incidents rose 22 per cent to 88.
- PICSS cautioned that the monthly improvement does not necessarily mean a lasting reduction.
Terrorist attacks in Pakistan fell by 37 per cent in October compared with September, according to figures released on Sunday by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The think tank recorded 143 attacks in October, against 226 in September. The decline followed two consecutive months of rising militant activity.
Lives lost in attacks dropped 57 per cent, from 260 in September to 111 in October. Injuries fell 71 per cent, from 242 to 69. PICSS said the combined toll from attacks and counterterrorism operations in October included 53 security personnel, 45 civilians and five peace committee members killed, while 169 militants were killed.
Only one suicide attack was recorded in October, compared with three in September. The October attack was a vehicle-borne explosive attack and caused no deaths or injuries. In September, suicide attacks killed 45 people and injured 138.
Balochistan saw attacks fall 46 per cent, from 132 to 71. Deaths linked to attacks there dropped from 136 to 44, and injuries from 63 to 37. Security operations in the province killed 79 militants. The ISPR confirmed that an army major was martyred in an improvised explosive device attack in Balochistan in October, according to Daily Times.
In mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, excluding the former tribal districts, attacks fell 31 per cent, from 58 to 40. Fatalities fell from 90 to 38 and injuries from 165 to 19. Operations there killed 42 militants, and two security personnel died. In the former tribal districts, attacks fell 12 per cent, from 34 to 30. Deaths decreased from 33 to 25, while injuries rose from 11 to 13, and security forces killed 35 militants.
Nationwide, counterterrorism operations in October killed 156 militants and led to the arrest of seven suspects. Two security personnel and three civilians were killed, and two security personnel were injured, during these operations.
Punjab recorded two attacks in October, against none in September, causing four deaths and no injuries. Sindh reported no attacks, though security agencies arrested seven suspected militants. Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan reported none.
PICSS documented 88 people kidnapped in terrorist-related incidents in October, up 22 per cent from 72 in September and the highest monthly figure in the preceding 12 months. Balochistan accounted for 70 of the cases, nearly 80 per cent of the total. The report cautioned that the monthly improvement does not necessarily reflect a lasting reduction in militant violence.
Why it matters
Changes in militant violence affect security and daily life for people across Pakistan, with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa still accounting for most attacks and kidnappings in the figures.
