ISLAMABAD: Violence linked to terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations intensified sharply in July, making it the deadliest month of 2026, with at least 606 people killed and 232 injured across the country.

The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its monthly security assessment that fatalities among security personnel and terrorists rose substantially during the month as terrorist violence increased and security forces intensified counter-terrorism operations.

According to the report, at least 112 security personnel lost their lives during July, the highest monthly toll since January 2023 and the second-highest recorded in more than a decade.

In January 2023, 114 security personnel were martyred, including around 102 in the suicide bombing at Peshawar Police Lines.

It said 401 terrorists were killed during July, the highest number recorded in a single month in more than a decade. The month also witnessed the deaths of 74 civilians and 19 members of peace committees. The death toll among peace committee members was also the highest recorded in a single month during the past decade.

According to PICSS, the 232 people injured during July included 101 security personnel, 103 civilians, 14 peace committee members and 14 terrorists.

The data showed that, compared with June, security personnel deaths increased by 195pc, rising from 38 to 112. Terrorist deaths increased by 109pc, from 192 to 401, while civilian deaths rose by 21pc, from 61 to 74.

The institute recorded at least eight suicide attacks during July, including five vehicle-borne suicide attacks. The think tank said this was the highest number of suicide attacks recorded in a single month during the past decade.

Kidnapping incidents also doubled during the month, rising by 100pc from 33 in June to 66 in July.

Province-wise breakdown

It stated that the security situation deteriorated most significantly in Balochistan, where the overall death toll increased by 241pc, from 109 in June to 372 in July.

Security personnel deaths in Balochistan increased from six in June to 62 in July, representing a rise of 933pc. Terrorist deaths rose from 75 to 238, while civilian deaths increased by 93pc, from 28 to 54. Eighteen members of peace committees were also killed in the province.

According to the report, mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, excluding the merged districts, recorded 154 deaths in July, compared with 75 in June, representing an increase of 105pc. The number of people injured rose from 60 to 98.

Security personnel deaths in mainland KP increased from 12 to 38, while terrorist deaths rose by 192pc, from 37 to 108. Civilian deaths, however, declined by 73pc, falling from 26 in June to seven in July. One member of a peace committee was also killed in the province.

Data showed a slight decline in overall deaths in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, formerly known as Fata. The region recorded 79 deaths in July, compared with 85 in June.

The number of people injured in the merged districts declined by 37pc, from 60 to 38. Security personnel deaths increased from six to 11, while terrorist deaths declined by 24pc, from 72 to 55. Civilian deaths rose by 86pc, increasing from seven to 13.

In Sindh, it recorded two terrorist attacks in which one security personnel member was killed. The province had recorded 12 deaths in June. Security forces also arrested six suspected terrorists during counter-terrorism operations in Sindh.

Punjab, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed no terrorist violence during July. However, security forces arrested three suspected terrorists during operations conducted in Punjab.

Overall, the data showed that the first seven months of 2026 witnessed 2,786 deaths linked to terrorist violence and counter-terrorism operations.

Those killed included 1,857 terrorists, 463 civilians, 434 security forces personnel and 32 members of peace committees. The average martyrdoms per month among security forces increased from 56 in 2025 to 62 in 2026, while average deaths of civilians increased from 48 to 66, average deaths among the terrorists increased from 178 to 265 per month.