December 2022 saw highest number of terror attacks in a single month

Islamabad: In December 2022, the country witnessed the highest number of terror attacks in a single month of the last year with an increase of 44 per cent compared with November 2022.

Terror incidents have increased by 88 per cent in Balochistan and 54 per cent increase in KPK during the month. BLA and TTP claimed most of the terror attacks were carried out in Balochistan and KPK. In response to the increase in terrorism across the country, 16 security forces actions were reported in which 39 suspected militants were killed and 47 others were apprehended. According to the statistics released by an Islamabad-based independent think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the number of militant attacks increased by 44% per cent in December compared to November 2022. In December, the militants carried out 49 attacks in which 56 people were killed including 32 security forces personnel and 17 civilians.

In these attacks, 81 people also got injured including 31 security forces personnel and 50 civilians. December saw the highest number of militant attacks in a single month in 2022. PICSS data also shows that the year 2022 saw a 28 per cent increase in terror attacks compared with 2021. Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies data shows that the year 2022 has seen the highest number of militant attacks in Pakistan during the last five years.

A 37 and 35 per cent rise in deaths and number of injured respectively was also recorded by the PICSS in 2022. The country faced at least 376 terror attacks in 2022, in which 533 people were killed and 832 were injured. This is for the first time since 2017 that the country faced more than 300 militant attacks. In 2017, Pakistan witnessed 420 militant attacks in which 912 people were killed and 1877 injured. The human losses in terror attacks in 2022 were also the highest since 2018, as for the first time in the last four years, the deaths were more than 500. December 2022 also witnessed four suicide attacks, three of them were carried out in tribal districts of KPK while one was reported from the federal capital Islamabad. Pakistan also faced 15 suicide attacks in 2022 compared with just four in 2021. In Balochistan, an 88% increase in militant attacks was reported as compared to November 2022.

In December, 17 militant attacks were reported in which 14 people were killed including 11 security forces personnel and three civilians while 48 others were injured including six security forces personnel and 42 civilians in the province. In mainland KPK, PICSS has recorded a 54 per cent increase in militant attacks in December as compared to November 2022. In December, 17 militant attacks were reported in which 17 people were killed including 15 security forces personnel and two civilians, while eight security forces personnel sustained injuries. In the security forces' actions, reported from KPK, 32 alleged militants were killed and ten others were apprehended.

In Erstwhile FATA (tribal districts of KPK), PICSS has recorded 11 militant attacks during the month in which 21 people were killed including four security forces personnel and 11 civilians, while 19 other people sustained injuries including 13 security forces personnel and six civilians. In the security forces' actions, reported from erstwhile FATA, six militants were killed.