Civilian casualties in Pakistan terror attacks doubled in September

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased, with 136 people killed in 65 militant attacks across the country in September, a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank said.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) monthly report, 144 people were injured, including civilians and security personnel, with the organization also including the number of militants injured last month.

There was a noticeable 34% decrease in the number of attacks compared to August, but there was a 21% increase in the number of deaths and a significant 66% rise in injuries, the data shows.

"Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) emerged as the most targeted region, with 23 attacks resulting in 34 deaths and 78 injuries. Balochistan, on the other hand, saw a substantial increase in fatalities, primarily due to a single attack in Mastung," it said.

"Among those killed across the country, civilians accounted for 62%, while 19% each were security forces personnel and attacking militants. Among the injured, 53% were civilians, 29% were attacking militants, and 17% were security forces personnel," according to the report.

Friday's bombing of an Islamic religious gathering in Mastung district of southwestern Balochistan province left at least 55 people dead and dozens of others wounded.

On Sept. 6, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of several militant outfits, also carried out a terror attack in the Chitral district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, killing at least four soldiers.

Three suicide bombings have been reported in the country last month, with 26 people killed in targeted attacks, including 10 soldiers.

"Guerilla attacks numbered 18, while there were 12 incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs)," it said.

The Pakistan Army has also intensified its efforts against militants, contributing significantly to the reduction in attacks.

The military carried out 37 operations, killing 47 suspected militants and arresting 46 others, according to the report

- Actions against militants

The country's caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti pledged a comprehensive operation to restore state authority while attributing the attack to the Indian intelligence agency, Research Analysis Wing (RAW), and vowed to strike not only terrorists but also their facilitators and supporters.

Pakistan Army chief Gen. Asim Munir also described the militant groups as proxies for the country’s enemies and said they would face the full force of the state and security forces.

The South Asian country has been dealing with a wave of terrorist attacks since joining the US in the fight against terrorism following the ouster of the first Afghan Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001.

Over 80,000 innocent civilians, as well as security forces and police personnel, have been killed in terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with no end in sight.

For the latest wave of terror attacks, Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to take action against the TTP, which allegedly uses Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, however, rebuffs the accusation.

However, recently media reports said the Afghan Taliban interim administration launched a crackdown on the TTP militants in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, arresting approximately 200 terrorists.