ISLAMABAD: A 24pc increase in the number of militant attacks was recorded in April as compared to March 2022, according to statistics released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

In April, militants carried out 34 attacks in which 55 people were killed, including 34 security forces personnel, 13 civilians and eight militants. As many as 25 people were injured including 11 security personnel and 14 civilians. The militants had carried out 26 attacks across the country in March 2022 in which 115 people were killed and 288 were injured.

Most of the attacks took place in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) followed by main Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

PICSS recorded 16 militant attacks in erstwhile Fata in which 31 people were killed, including 21 security personnel, seven militants and three civilians, while 10 people were injured including six security personnel and four civilians.

In KP, militants carried out 10 attacks in which 17 people were killed, including 12 security personnel and five civilians, while six people got injured, of which three were civilian and three security personnel.

In Balochistan, four militant attacks left one security official and one civilian dead while five people were injured including one security official and four civilians.

In Sindh, four militant attacks took place in which four civilians and one militant was killed. The attacks in Karachi also included the suicide bombing of a Chinese teachers’ van at the University of Karachi.

In Punjab, no militant attack took place during the month.

Meanwhile, security forces carried out 22 actions against militants in which 11 suspected militants were arrested and 27 others were killed. Most of the arrests took place in Punjab.

Published in Dawn,May 3rd, 2022