ISLAMABAD: Anti-state attacks in the country reached alarming levels in August, with Balochistan experiencing a severe surge while other provinces showed signs of improvement.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), August 2024 was the deadliest month of the year, with 254 people killed, including 92 civilians, 54 security personnel, and 108 militants.
Additionally, 150 individuals were injured, comprising 88 civilians, 35 security personnel, and 27 militants.
The PICSS report highlights that 83 militant attacks were responsible for the majority of these casualties, claiming 175 lives—92 civilians, 47 security personnel, and 36 militants—and injuring 123 others, including 88 civilians and 35 security personnel.
Security operations led to 79 fatalities, including 72 militants and seven security personnel, with 27 militants injured.
Moreover, security forces arrested 12 suspected militants, while militants kidnapped at least nine individuals, including a serving Lt. Colonel of the Pakistan Army and an Assistant Commissioner.
August 2024 marked the highest number of deaths from militant attacks since July 2018, with 175 fatalities—the deadliest month in six years. Additionally, militants faced the highest fatalities at the hands of security forces since February 2017, underscoring the intensified conflict.
Balochistan recorded the most significant increase in violence, with 125 deaths—80 civilians, 22 security personnel, and 23 militants—due to militant attacks. The province saw a dramatic rise in anti-state violence, with a 277 percent increase in incidents, a 938 percent surge in deaths, and a 208 percent rise in injuries compared to July 2024. Violent incidents in Balochistan rose to 49 in August from 13 in July.
In contrast, the security situation improved in the erstwhile FATA (tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), with a 25 percent decrease in violent incidents and a 43 percent reduction in civilian casualties. However, militant casualties increased by 98 percent, with 65 militants killed in August compared to 20 in July. Security forces’ losses in this region also rose by 54 percent, with 20 personnel killed in August compared to 13 in July.
Mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw positive trends, with 24 violent incidents in August, down from 42 in July. Fatalities decreased from 78 in July to 24 in August, and injuries dropped from 30 to 15. This reflects a 43 percent decline in violent incidents, a 69 percent reduction in deaths, and a 50 percent decrease in injuries.
Sindh experienced improvement as well, with only two violent incidents in August compared to nine in July. No fatalities were reported in these incidents, whereas July had seen seven deaths. In Punjab, only one violent incident occurred, resulting in the deaths of two militants and injuries to two security personnel.
Throughout the first eight months of 2024, militants carried out 640 attacks in Pakistan, resulting in 757 deaths and 733 injuries, according to PICSS. This represents a 51 percent increase in militant attacks and a 21 percent rise in deaths compared to the same period in 2023, although the number of injured dropped by 24 percent.
