Islamabad Think Tank Reports 70 Fatalities in April’s Militant Attacks across Pakistan
In April, Pakistan was rocked by 77 militant attacks resulting in the deaths of at least 70 individuals, including 31 security personnel, according to a report from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The report also documented 67 injuries among both civilians and security personnel as a result of these attacks.
The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, situated in the northwest, bore the brunt of the violence, with 73% of the total attacks recorded. Balochistan followed with 16 attacks, while Punjab and Sindh provinces experienced four and one attack, respectively.
Security forces in the country responded with operations against the militants, resulting in the deaths of 55 suspected terrorists and the arrest of 12 others.
This escalation in violence comes in the wake of a surge in terror incidents across Pakistan in recent months, totaling 323 attacks since the beginning of the year. These attacks have claimed the lives of 324 individuals and injured 387 others.
Tragically, the violence hit close to home on Friday with the targeted killing of Mohammad Siddiq Mengal, the president of Khuzdar Press Club, along with two others, including a local journalist, in a remote-controlled blast in Balochistan province.
The surge in attacks has raised concerns about cross-border terrorism, with Pakistan alleging that Afghanistan-based militants are behind the violence. However, Afghanistan denies these allegations, exacerbating tensions between the neighboring countries.
