ISLAMABAD: Casualties go down with a slight increase in attacks in Pakistan during June 2020. But FATA is indicating as the most distressing point in reference of anti – state violence.
According to the statistics released by an Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for conflict and security studies (PICSS), slight increase in militant attacks was observed in June as compared to May this year but casualties in slightly higher number of militant attacks was less than that of May.
In June, as many as 19 militant attacks were recorded in which 24 people were killed and 38 others were injured. May 2020 had witnessed 18 militant attacks in which 34 people were killed and 15 others were injured. Thus, there has been almost six percent increase in militant attacks in June when compared with May but the number of casualties has gone down by almost 29 percent but the number of those injured increased by almost 153 percent.
As per PICSS statistics for June, among those 24 people killed in June, 12 were security forces personnel, seven civilians and five suspected militants. Among those 38 injured, 27 were civilians and 11 were security forces personnel. Statistics of PICSS since the last three months in April 67 percent, May 66 percent and now in June 47 percent of total militant activities in tribal area of KP.
The highest number of militant attacks were reported from erstwhile FATA region where nine militant attacks were reported in which eight people including five security forces personnel, two civilians and one militant were killed while 14 others including nine security forces personnel and five civilians were injured.
After erstwhile FATA region, Sindh was the second most affected region with six militant attacks in which 14 people including six security forces personnel, four civilians and four militants were killed while 12 others including 10 civilians and two security forces personnel were injured. Increase in militant attacks suggested that renewed effort is being made to revive militancy in Sindh. Three militant attacks were reported from Punjab in which one civilian was killed and 12 others were injured. Increase in militant attacks in Sindh and Punjab indicate that militant groups with their foreign patronage are trying to revive urban militancy in Pakistan. KPK witnessed one militant attack in which one security forces personnel was killed. Notably, no militant attack was observed in Balochistan during the month of June.
Out of 19 militant attacks, 11 were IED-based attacks, six physical assaults while one was grenade attack and one was incident of targeted killing. Most of causalities during the month of June were caused by militants’ physical assaults as 14 people were killed including seven security forces personnel, five militants and two civilians in these six physical assaults. Four civiliians and two security forces personnel were also injured in these six assaults.
IED (improvised explosive devices) based attacks caused eight deaths including four security forces personnel and four civilians while 26 others including 18 civilians and eight security forces personnel were injured in these 11 IED-based attacks. In the only grenade attack recorded during the month, one civilian was killed while six people including five civilians and one security forces personnel were injured. One security forces personnel was killed in an incident of targeted killing.
Meanwhile security forces carried out 19 significant actions throughout country and 25 suspects were arrested while eight suspected militants were killed. Four security forces actions were reported from erstwhile FATA region, five from KPK, four from Punjab, three from Sindh, two from Islamabad Capital Territory and one from Gilgit-Baltistan. Although in intelligence based operation in District Gujranwala, Punjab, CTD arrested a terrorist belonging to proscribed organization ISIS (Daesh), with Explosive material, prima cord, detonator, IED parts and cash for terrorism financing. Terrorist had planned to target a sensitive installation.