Pakistan violence drops significantly in 2016: report

ISLAMABAD: Deaths linked to violence in Pakistan decreased significantly in 2016, dropping 45 percent compared with the previous year, a report released Tuesday said.

Some 2,610 people lost their lives due to violence during the period compared with 4,647 in 2015, according to research by the Islamabad-based think tank, the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

"There was nearly a 45 percent reduction in the number of violence-related fatalities in 2016, which continued the trend of reduction from 2014," the report said. "In fact, since 2014, there has been an overall reduction of nearly 66 percent."

It added that December was the least violent month for the country during the year. Pakistan Army launched an operation in June 2014 to wipe out militant bases in northwestern tribal areas and bring an end to a bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.