The Conflict Monitoring Center (CMC) has observed a decrease in the number of militant attacks and deaths related to the ongoing insurgencies in Pakistan.
However, over the past month, the militants have improved their target selection and carried out significant and successful operations.
Per the CMC, there has been a gradual increase in the number of security forces actions against anti-state militants in KP and Balochistan.
During the month of August, 185 people were killed in militant attacks and security forces’ anti-militants operations, including 74 militants, 59 civilians, 50 security forces personal and two pro-government ‘razakars’ whereas 288 people, including 171 civilians, 106 security forces personnel, six militants and five ‘razakars’ were wounded.
The highest number of militant attacks, subsequent deaths and counter-insurgency operations was recorded in Balochistan, making it the most affected province of the country, followed by KP.
According to the CMC, 135 people were killed in 49 insurgency related incidents in Balochistan, including 27 militant attacks and 22 security forces operations. The dead include 35 security forces personnel, 43 civilians and 57 militants.
Balochistan became the deadliest province for the security forces as seventy percent of the security forces personnel killed and 76 percent of those injured during August were operating in the province.
The militants carried out 27 actions in Balochistan, 16 in KP, 15 in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), six in Sindh, and one each in Islamabad and Gilgit, killing 138 people.
A Pakistan Army colonel and a senior superintendent of police (SSP) were killed in the Gilgit attack. These officers were investigating the Naga Parbat incident in which Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) militants had targeted foreign tourists. The forces have arrested 14 suspected militants of the TTP during search operations in the country’s northern areas.
During August, the militants carried out two suicide attacks killing 35 people out of whom 30 were killed in Quetta when a suicide bomber blew himself up during the funeral of a slain police officer. The blast killed senior police officials, including Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police (Operations) Fayyaz Sumbal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Headquarters Shamsuddin and Superintendent Police (SP) Ali Mehr. Sixty people, mostly policemen, were also injured in the blast.
The militants also used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and conducted grenade attacks, rocket attacks, target killings and kidnappings. IEDs attacks and physical assaults constituted the majority of the militant attacks in August.
Civilians continue to bear the consequences of the ongoing war-on-terror as 59 were killed and 171 wounded during the month of August. Unlike the security forces, civilian victims are not compensated by the government according to a set mechanism.
In the previous month, 43 civilians were killed in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, two in FATA and one in KP.
Security forces beefed up their activities against the militants in Punjab and detained 412 suspects during a three-day-long search operation in Lahore. However, most of the detainees were released after their identities were obtained.
As many as 267 suspects were arrested, including 142 from Balochistan, 14 from Gilgit, six from Islamabad, two from Sindh and 23 from FATA. The militants kidnapped four people during the month.
The security forces conducted 64 actions against insurgents in different parts of the country, killing 47 militants. The forces conducted 23 such actions in KP and 22 in Balochistan. The forces also recovered an explosive-laden auto rickshaw from Quetta besides diffusing two bombs.
In KP, four militants were killed in security forces operations while one was killed in Punjab and Sindh each. The focus of the security forces actions in KP was to trace and avert militant attacks in the province.
The KP police and intelligence agencies foiled ten IED attacks in the province. The Peshawar police also recovered 100 kilogrammes of explosives and averted a terror bid attack.
The provincial capitals of all the four provinces of the country witnessed the highest number of insurgency-related actions.
Successful target killings show that despite claims of the security forces and government officials that they have shattered the command and control structure of the militants, the TTP and Baloch militants are still intact.
