Militant attacks have further increased in Feb 2023 but resultant deaths have declined compared with Jan 2023: PICSS  

ISLAMABAD, Mar 01 (SABAH): Militant attacks have further increased in February 2023 but resultant deaths have declined compared with January 2023.

According to the statistics released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) militants carried out 58 attacks during the past month in which 59 people were killed including 27 civilians, 18 security forces personnel and 17 militants while 134 people were injured including 54 civilians and 80 security forces personnel.

According to the PICSS militancy database for the first time after June 2015 Pakistan faced 58 attacks in a single month. The upward trajectory of anti-state violence continued in February as 32 percent more militant attacks were recorded compared with January 2023. However, the number of deaths declined by 56 percent compared with January. In January 2023, the majority of the deaths occurred due to the Peshawar Police Line suicide attack. The number of suicide attacks also increased but their impact was not as devastating as it was in January. In February 2023, three suicide attacks were reported in which nine people were killed and 37 were injured. In January, 106 people were killed and 216 injured in two suicide attacks.

The month of February saw a considerable decline in militant attacks in mainland KP while the attacks increased in erstwhile FATA (tribal districts of KP) and Balochistan. the number of attacks also increased in Punjab ad Sindh. An attack by TTP at Karachi Police Headquarters was the most high-profile attack of the month. In February 2023, Pakistani security forces further stepped up their actions against the militant groups and killed at least 55 suspected militants. 75 suspected militants were also arrested from across the country. The majority of the suspects were arrested from Punjab and KP.

According to PICSS statistics, the highest number of militant attacks was reported from Balochistan where PICSS recorded at least 22 attacks in which 25 people were killed and 61 injured. Erstwhile FATA faced 16 attacks in which 16 people were killed and 39 injured.

Mainland KP faced 13 attacks in which 6 people were killed and 8 were injured. Punjab witnessed four militant attacks in which two people were killed and eight injured while 10 people were killed and 18 injured in three reported militant attacks in Sindh.