ISLAMABAD
Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased, with 136 people killed in 65 militant attacks across the country in September, according to a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank.
According to the monthly report of the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), 144 people were injured, including civilians and security personnel, and the organization also included the number of militants injured last month.
There was a notable 34% decrease in the number of attacks compared to August, but there was a 21% increase in the number of deaths and a significant 66% increase in injuries, the data shows.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) emerged as the most attacked region, with 23 attacks resulting in 34 deaths and 78 injuries. Balochistan, on the other hand, saw a substantial rise in deaths, mainly due to a single attack in Mastung,” it said . .
“Among the dead nationwide, civilians accounted for 62%, while 19% were security force personnel and attacking militants. Among the injured, 53% were civilians, 29% were attacking militants and 17% were security force personnel.” according to the report.
Friday’s attack on an Islamic religious gathering in Mastung district in the southwestern province of Balochistan left at least 55 dead and dozens injured.
On September 6, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of several militant groups, also carried out a terrorist attack in the Chitral district of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan, killing at least four soldiers.
Three suicide bombings were reported in the country last month, killing 26 people, including 10 soldiers.
“Guerrilla attacks numbered 18, while there were 12 incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” he said.
Pakistan’s military has also intensified its efforts against militants, contributing significantly to the reduction in attacks.
The army carried out 37 operations, killing 47 suspected militants and arresting 46 others, the report said.
Actions against militants
The country’s acting home minister, Sarfraz Bugti, promised a comprehensive operation to restore state authority, while attributing the attack to the Indian intelligence agency, Research Analysis Wing (RAW), and vowing to attack not only terrorists but also to their facilitators and supporters.
Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir also described the militant groups as representing the country’s enemies and said they would confront the full force of the state and security forces.
The South Asian country has been dealing with a wave of terrorist attacks since it joined the United States in the fight against terrorism following the overthrow of the first Afghan Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001.
More than 80,000 innocent civilians, as well as members of the police and security forces, have died due to terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and there is no end in sight.
In the latest wave of terror attacks, Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to take action against the TTP, which is allegedly using Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Afghanistan, however, rejects the accusation.
However, recent media reports said that the interim administration of the Afghan Taliban launched an offensive against TTP militants in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, arresting approximately 200 terrorists.
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