Pakistan witnessed 83 percent rise in terror attacks in August, reveals report

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan has witnessed a sharp 83 per cent rise in terror attacks in the month of August, Geo News cited a report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The month of August saw a significant surge in terrorist attacks around the country, with 99 terror occurrences registered thus far. This is the greatest number recorded in a single month since November 2014, according to the data.

The data stated a sharp 83 per cent rise in August when compared with July, as the month saw 54 attacks. The PICSS report also mentioned four suicide attacks, three in tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and one in mainland KP.

The month of July, meanwhile, witnessed five suicide attacks, the highest in a year. Overall, the country witnessed 22 suicide attacks in the first eight months of 2023, in which 227 people have been killed and 497 injured.

The PICSS data also shows that security forces responded effectively to the militant threat, averting many attacks killing at least 24 militants, and arresting 69 others in various operations across the country, Geo News reported.
According to the report, the most hit regions by terrorist activity in August were Balochistan and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Balochistan saw a 65 per cent increase in militant assaults, going from 17 in July to 28 in August, while FATA saw a 106 per cent increase, going from 18 in July to 37 in August.

However, both regions had a 19 per cent and 29 per cent decrease in fatalities, respectively. KP, excluding its tribal areas, had an 83 per cent surge in militant attacks, from 15 in July to 29 in August. Deaths and injuries rose by 188 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its breakaway organisations primarily targeted the province, claiming responsibility for multiple attacks. Sindh saw a minor uptick in militant attacks, from three in July to five in August, Geo News reported.

The province of Punjab was largely peaceful in August, with no extremist attacks reported. In July, the single attack was a low-intensity blast outside a police station in Lahore, which resulted in one injury. (TOI)