QUETTA: A total of 242 people lost their lives in 279 incidents of sectarian and religious violence, suicide attacks and targeted killings over the past one year, official sources said. The deceased included personnel of the Levies Force, police and Frontier Corps (FC) as well as civilians.

The incidents that took place in Quetta and other towns and cities of Balochistan from January to December this year also left 518 people injured.

According to the data available with Dawn, most attacks — 64 — were carried out against the FC, leaving 45 personnel dead and 118 injured.

In 17 attacks, 51 police personnel, including five senior officers, were killed and 81 others injured. The deceased officers were DIG Hamid Shakeel Sabir, SP Muhammad Ilyas, DPO Sajid Khan Mohmand, SP Mubarak Shah and Abdul Salam.

In the six religion-related incidents, 11 people were killed and 10 others wounded. Seven settlers were killed and another 10 injured in five terrorist attacks.

In other 117 suicide attacks, bomb blasts and armed attacks 115 people were killed and 293 injured in Quetta and other parts of the province.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2017