Violence has surged over the past three months due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said on Monday.

In a quarterly report, CRSS reported a 46 per cent rise in fatalities, including civilians, security personnel and terrorists, compared to the previous quarter. The thick tank recorded 901 fatalities and 599 injuries resulting from 329 incidents of violence, including terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations.

The report noted that this year is on track to be deadlier than 2024 — already the most violent year in a decade.

The surge reflects an “intensification of militant violence and the expanded scale of counter-terrorism operations”, CRSS said.

“With an entire quarter still remaining, … 2025 is on course to surpass last year’s toll,” the report read.

“If the current trend continues, 2025 could mark one of the deadliest years in a decade.”

There were 2,414 deaths in the first three quarters of 2025, nearing the 2,546 fatalities reported in 2024, according to the think tank. The report added that when comparing casualty numbers from January to September 2024 (1,527 fatalities) to this year, 2,414 fatalities were recorded within the same period — an increase of 58pc.

“However, the source of fatalities has shifted; in 2024, security operations caused 505 deaths (33pc of the total), while terror attacks claimed 1,022. In 2025, security operations accounted for 1,265 deaths — over half of the total fatalities. This shift underscores how the state’s response has intensified, with security forces inflicting heavier losses on militants,” the report read.

Attacks have increased since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, with the federal government accusing the Taliban authorities of sheltering terrorists — a charge they deny. However, the United Nations has warned of a “permissive environment” for militant groups in Afghanistan.

Government officials told AFP in September on condition of anonymity that the presence of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — designated Fitna al Khawarij by the authorities — had increased in recent months.

That same month, opposition lawmakers accused the military of carrying out an air raid on militant hideouts that killed children.

Local village councils have repeatedly warned that sweeping counter-terrorism operations would risk harming civilians.