Terror casualties increase in November: report

–Think tank says ‘anti-CPEC forces’ behind terror attacks

ISLAMABAD: November proved to be fatal in terms of human losses and injuries inflicted in terrorist attacks across the country, though the number of terror attacks witnessed a slide.

November also witnessed significant attacks, including an attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi claimed by proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), while an attack of sectarian nature was claimed by Islamic State.

According to a monthly security report prepared by an Islamabad-based independent think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), there are strong indications coupled with circumstantial evidence to indicate that the former was done at the behest of forces opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and was spearheaded by India through Afghanistan, and the latter had its roots in the Afghan soil.

This is for the first time that a think tank report has alleged that there is enough evidence to suggest that anti-CPEC forces, with assistance from India, are using Afghan soil to mount terrorist attacks against Chinese installations inside Pakistan.

The report noted that the violent attacks by terrorists continued to escalate in November as militants managed to inflict more human losses as compared to the previous month but the total number of attacks has gone slightly down.

While the number of militant attacks has gone down by almost 14 per cent during November as 21 militant attacks were carried out in November against 24 militant attacks mounted by terrorists in October, the impact of less number of attacks in November was higher than that of October.

“There has been almost 49 per cent increase in the number of deaths and almost 33 per cent increase in the number of injuries as compared to the previous month. These 21 militant attacks in November caused killing of 63 people and injuries to 73 others,” the report stated.

According to the PICSS report, the highest number of attacks and resultant deaths, as well as injuries during the month of November, were recorded in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region where 13 militant attacks were reported, claiming 49 lives and leaving 50 others injured.

“Three militant attacks were recorded in Balochistan that caused four deaths and injuries to 13 others. Moreover, two militant attacks were recorded in Sindh in which nine people were killed and the same number of people were injured. Whereas one militant attack each was reported from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab,” the report added.