ISLAMABAD: Though the number of casualties decreased with a slight increase in terror attacks in Pakistan in June, tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are still the most distressing point in reference to anti-state violence.

According to statistics released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a slight increase in militant attacks was observed in June compared to May of this year but the casualties were less than that of May.

In June, 19 militant attacks were recorded in which 24 people were killed and 38 others injured. May had witnessed 18 militant attacks in which 34 people were killed and 15 others injured.

Thus, there was about a six percent increase in militant attacks in June compared to May but the number of casualties decreased by almost 29 percent. However, the number of those injured increased by almost 153pc.

As per the statistics for June, among the 24 people killed, 12 were security forces personnel, seven civilians and five suspected militants. As many as 27 of the 38 injured people were civilians and 11 were security forces personnel. In April, 67pc of total militant activities in the country were reported from the tribal districts followed by 66pc in May and 47pc in June.

Report says highest number of militant attacks occurred in erstwhile Fata

The highest number of militant attacks - nine - was reported from the erstwhile Fata in which eight people, including five security forces personnel, two civilians and one militant were killed while 14 others including nine security forces personnel and five civilians were injured.

After the erstwhile Fata, Sindh was the second most affected region with six militant attacks in which 14 people, including six security forces personnel, four civilians and four militants were killed while 12 others, including 10 civilians and two security forces personnel, were injured.

Moreover, three militant attacks were reported from Punjab in which one civilian was killed and 12 others were injured. This indicates that militant groups with their foreign patronage were trying to revive urban militancy in Pakistan.

KP witnessed one militant attack in which one security forces personnel was killed. Notably, no militant attack was observed in Balochistan during June. 

Out of 19 militant attacks, 11 were IED-based, six physical assaults while one was a grenade attack and another an incident of targeted killing. Most of the casualties reported in June were caused by militants’ physical assaults as 14 people were killed, including seven security forces personnel, five militants and two civilians, in these assaults.

Four civilians and two security forces personnel were also injured in these six assaults. IED (improvised explosive devices)-based attacks caused eight deaths, including four security forces personnel and four civilians, while 26 others, including 18 civilians and eight security forces personnel, were injured in these attacks.  

In the only grenade attack recorded during the month, one civilian was killed while six people, including five civilians and one security forces personnel, were injured. One security forces personnel was killed in an incident of targeted killing.

Meanwhile, security forces carried out 19 significant actions throughout the country and arrested 25 suspects and killed eight suspected militants. Four security forces actions were reported from the erstwhile Fata, five from KP, four from Punjab, three from Sindh, two from Islamabad and one from Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gul Dad, the author of the security report, told Dawn that the major incident reported in June was an attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2020