• Militant violence sees highest spike in a decade, according to think tank report
• Suicide attacks and arrests rose sharply; violence remained concentrated in KP and Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s counterterrorism scenario saw a marked escalation in 2025 — combat-related deaths rising by 73 per cent against the previous one — with violence intensifying and pushing several indicators to their highest levels in over a decade.
The year not only witnessed a steep rise in overall combat-related deaths, but also became the deadliest one for militants since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties since 2015.
According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73pc to 3,387, compared with 1,950 in 2024.
The fatalities included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants).
The report noted that most violence remained concentrated in Pashtun-majority districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the tribal districts (formerly Fata), as well as in Balochistan.
Militant attacks climbed to their highest annual total since 2014, while the use of suicide bombings and small drones showed a clear upward trend.
Militants accounted for about 62pc of total combat-related deaths, and their 2,115 fatalities represented the highest annual militant death toll since 2015, when 2,322 militants were killed. Compared with 2024, militant deaths increased by 122pc, as 951 militants were killed last year.
The year also proved particularly deadly for Pakistani security forces. PICSS recorded 664 security personnel deaths in 2025, a 26pc increase from 528 in 2024, and the highest annual figure since 2011, when 677 security forces personnel lost their lives.
Civilian deaths increased by around 24pc to 580 in 2025, compared with 468 in 2024, marking the highest annual civilian toll since 2015, when 642 civilians were killed.
PICSS recorded 2,263 people injured in 2025, including 1,025 security forces personnel, 982 civilians, 228 militants and 28 members of pro-government peace committees. This represented a 53pc increase over 2024 and the highest annual number of injured since 2014, when 3,829 people were wounded.
Compared with 2024, injuries among security forces increased by 62pc (1,025 compared with 631), civilian injuries rose by 40pc (982 compared with 701), and militant injuries went up by 61pc (228 compared with 142).
The think tank also reported an 83pc rise in arrests of suspected militants, with 497 suspects detained in 2025 compared with 272 in 2024.
It said the 2025 figure was the highest annual total since 2017, when 1,781 militants were either arrested or laid down their weapons.
On the operational front, PICSS recorded at least 1,063 militant attacks in 2025, a 17pc increase from 908 in 2024 and the highest annual total since 2014, when 1,609 militant attacks were recorded.
Suicide attacks also increased by 53pc, with 26 such incidents reported in 2025 compared with 17 in 2024.
PICSS noted an expanding trend in the use of small drones, including quadcopters, with 33 such incidents recorded during the year, alongside increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles by security forces.
Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2025
