ISLAMABAD: After a slight decline in June, July saw a significant uptick in militant violence across the country, data from an Islamabad-based think tank showed.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), July witnessed 79 militant attacks, resulting in 108 deaths and 71 injuries.

This marks a 14 per cent increase in attacks, a staggering 80pc surge in fatalities and a 9pc rise in injuries compared to June.

In response to the escalating violence, the security forces intensified their operations, eliminating at least 50 militants in July — an increase of 56pc compared to June.

Most militant attacks occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its merged tribal districts, formerly known as Fata. Mainland KP reported 36 attacks, resulting in 60 deaths and 27 injuries. In the tribal districts of the province, 30 people were killed in 26 attacks.

Balochistan experienced 12 militant attacks, causing 12 deaths and 24 injuries. Sindh faced five attacks, which resulted in six deaths and two injuries. The most significant devel­­­opment in July was the arrest of Al Qaeda leader Aminul Haq by Punjab’s Counter-Terro­rism Department on July 18.

The security forces also eliminated six key TTP commanders in various intelligence-based operations. These include Najeeb alias Abdur Rehman and Ishfaq alias Muavia in the Tirah Valley of the Khyber tribal district, Irfan Ullah alias Adnan in Bajaur, Shah Faisal in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, Noor Rah­man in North Waziristan, and TTP’s shadow governor of Peshawar, Abdur Raheem, in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024