Pakistan registers 79% spike in terror attacks in first six months of 2023 compared to last year: Think-tank

Pakistan registered a whopping 79 per cent spike in terror attacks in the first six months of 2023 compared to the corresponding period last year, a prominent think-tank said here on Monday.

A statistical report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said that the country's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been the most highly impacted state due to the militant attacks while Sindh saw a dip in such attacks compared to last year.

According to the report, 271 militant attacks occurred during the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals.

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"The report reveals that 271 militant attacks occurred in the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals. Comparatively, the same timeframe in 2022 witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries. These figures represent a staggering 79 per cent increase in militant attacks during the first half of this year compared to the corresponding period last year," the report said.

Further, the latter half of 2022 recorded 228 attacks, resulting in 246 fatalities and 349 injuries.

"Thus, the first six months of 2023 witnessed an 18 per cent rise in attacks compared to the latter half of 2022, accompanied by a 58 per cent increase in fatalities and an 88 per cent increase in injuries," according to data released by the PICSS.

Pakistani security forces have also stepped up their response against terrorism and killed at least 236 militants across the country while 295 suspected militants were also arrested during the first six months of 2023.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerged as the most affected province during the first half of this year, with 174 reported militant attacks, which claimed the lives of 266 individuals and injured 463.

Among the reported attacks, 100 took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in 188 deaths and 354 injuries, while 74 incidents occurred in the tribal districts, causing 78 deaths and 109 injuries.

The PICSS Militancy Database shows a 51 per cent rise in terror attacks in the tribal districts of KP during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, although there was a 10 per cent and 15 per cent decline in fatalities compared to the first and second half of last year, respectively.

Mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced a striking 108 per cent rise in terror incidents during the first six months of 2023 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Additionally, a 25 per cent increase was observed compared to the second half of 2022.

Fatalities in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rose by 53 per cent and 132 per cent in the first half of the current year compared to the first and last half of 2022, respectively.

Balochistan reported 75 terror incidents in the first half of 2023, resulting in 100 deaths and 163 injuries.

The PICSS Militancy Database reveals a 103 per cent increase in terror attacks during this period compared to the same period in the previous year, and a 14 per cent rise compared to the last six months of 2022.

Fatalities in Balochistan rose by 61 per cent and 64 per cent in the first six months of the current year compared to the first and second half of 2022, respectively.

Sindh experienced a slight decline in terror incidents, with 13 reported attacks in the first six months of 2023, resulting in 19 deaths and the same number of injuries.

Comparing the data to the first and second half of the previous year, the first six months of this year witnessed a 19 per cent decline and a 44 per cent rise, respectively.

Fatalities in Sindh rose by 27 per cent compared to the first half of the previous year, while a 171 per cent increase was observed compared to the last six months of 2022.

Punjab has witnessed a significant rise in terror-related incidents during the first six months of 2023, with the PICSS Militancy Database recording eight attacks, resulting in six deaths and 10 injuries.

In contrast, only one militant attack was reported during the first six months of 2022, while two attacks occurred during the last six months of the same year.

A concerning surge in suicide attacks has also been observed during the first half of 2023, with 13 such attacks resulting in 142 deaths and 309 injuries. In comparison, only five suicide attacks were reported during the corresponding period of the previous year, causing 77 deaths and 225 injuries.

During the second half of 2022, Pakistan witnessed 10 suicide attacks, resulting in 24 fatalities and 65 injuries.