ISLAMABAD: After a consistent decline in militant attacks for six years, Pakistan witnessed a 56% surge in militant attacks in 2021 despite a one-month ceasefire by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statistics released by an Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), showed that the militants carried out 294 attacks this year in which 388 people were killed, including 184 civilians and 192 security forces personnel, while 606 people were injured, including 389 civilians and 217 security forces personnel.
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Pakistani security forces also killed 188 militants and arrested at least 220 suspected militants this year.
The year 2020 had witnessed 188 militant attacks in which 266 people were killed and 595 injured. Comparison of both the year showed a 56% increase in the number of attacks, 46% increase in the total number of deaths and 66% increase in the casualties of Pakistani security forces. The number of militant attacks in 2021 was the highest after 2017 in any year, while the number of deaths was the highest after 2018.
“The rise in militant attacks in Pakistan coincided with the Afghan Taliban’s military offensive, which started in May 2021, and reached the highest point in August 2021 when the Taliban took over Kabul,” said the PICSS report.
The highest number of militant attacks in a single month during 2021 were recorded during August when PICSS recorded 45 attacks. Despite a one-month ceasefire from November 10 to December 10, the overall number of militant attacks could not drop in both months.
The average number of militant attacks per month in Pakistan rose from 16 in 2020 to 25 in 2021, the highest after 2017.
PICSS militancy database showed Balochistan as the most turbulent province where the highest number of deaths, 170, was recorded in 103 militant attacks.
The highest number of injured were reported from Balochistan, 331, more than 50% of the total injured. The tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) were the second most affected region of the country, which although witnessed a similar number of militant attacks as Balochistan, 103, but the number of deaths was lesser than Balochistan, 117, and 103 got injured.
Militant attacks in Pakistan
K-P (other than the tribal districts) was the third most affected region, which witnessed 59 militant attacks in which 63 people were killed and 59 injured.
In Sindh, PICSS recorded 15 militant attacks in which 23 people were killed and 29 injured.
In Punjab, militants carried out 10 attacks in which 10 people were killed and 87 injured.
Federal Capital Islamabad witnessed three militant attacks in which three people were killed while one person was killed in a single attack in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
PICSS militancy database showed that militant attacks went up during 2021 in almost all administrative regions of the country except Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Balochistan saw 110%, K-P tribal districts 27%, while K-P (other than tribal districts) witnessed a 111% rise in militant attacks during 2021.
Security forces’ operations against militants
In the wake of escalating terror threat, Pakistani security forces had also stepped up their operations against the militants.
PICSS Database showed that a 40% increase in security forces’ actions was recorded during 2021 compared with 2020. In total, the security forces conducted 205 reported actions/operations against the militants in which 188 militants were killed, and 220 were arrested.
The highest number of security forces actions were reported from Sindh, where 92 suspected militants were arrested, and five were killed in 57 operations/raids.
At least 72 militants were killed in the tribal districts of K-P, and 13 were arrested in 48 actions. K-P (other than tribal districts) witnessed 38 security forces actions in which 21 militants were eliminated and 43 arrested.
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The highest number of arrests after Sindh were reported from Punjab, where Pakistani security forces arrested 56 militants and killed seven in 32 actions.
The highest number of militant deaths in security forces actions were reported from Balochistan, where 83 militants were killed and 13 arrested in 29 security forces actions.
