ISLAMABAD: Nine dis­­­­tricts of Khyber Pakht­unkhwa witnessed terrorist attacks in June 2024, in what has been termed as a sign of expanding militancy in the province.

A report issued by the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) documented 27 terrorist attacks in Pakistan in June, down from 36 in the preceding month. Of these attacks, 21 were reported in KP and six in Balochistan.

While attacks on security forces personnel remained the prime target of militant groups in the KP, in recent weeks and months, educational institutions, mainly girls’ schools, polio vaccination workers, tribal elders, and political leaders, have come under frequent attacks.

In its monthly security review for June 2024, PIPS noted that during the month, the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan and other local Taliban groups claimed responsibility for 21 terrorist attacks in KP, which is two more than the previous month.

These attacks claimed the lives of 28 people, including 19 security and law enforcement personnel.

During June 2024, Balochistan experienced a total of six terrorist incidents, which claimed four lives, including security and law enforcement personnel, while 14 people were injured.

According to the report, security forces and counter-terrorism departments police conducted five operations against alleged militants in June, compared to 10 in the previous month.

In these operations, 17 alleged militants were killed, and three were injured.

Four out of the five reported operations took place in Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts of KP, while one operation was conducted in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2024