Pakistan saw ‘sharp' 22 percent decline in militant attacks in April, says think tank
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its monthly report that both militant attacks and resultant casualties dropped sharply compared to March.
Pakistan's security forces have been battling twin insurgencies in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces. In KP, the Pakistani Taliban frequently carry out some of the deadliest attacks against security forces while in Balochistan, Pakistani troops are battling ethnic Baloch separatists seeking independence from the state.
'The number of militant attacks fell by 22 percent— from 105 in March to 82 in April— while fatalities and injuries declined by 63 percent and 49 percent, respectively,' the PICSS said in its press release on Thursday.
The report said Pakistani security forces killed 203 militants in various operations throughout the month. Militants formed an overwhelming majority (73 percent) of the total fatalities in April, while only four casualties were reported. Of these, two were civilians and two were security personnel, it added.
'A total of 287 people were killed in April due to militant violence and security operations, down from 335 in March,' the think tank said.
The report said April also marked the lowest monthly death toll among security forces since June 2024, noting that civilian deaths also dropped significantly last month.
'PICSS attributed these improvements to proactive intelligence-led operations and enhanced border vigilance,' it said.
The report said the most 'consequential development' of the month was a two-phase military operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that targeted a large group of infiltrating Pakistani Taliban militants.
'At least 71 militants were killed— making it the biggest loss suffered by the group in a single operation to date,' the report said.
The think tank also noted the resurgence of attacks on local peace committee members in tribal districts who have historically resisted militant infiltrations.
'The resurgence of attacks on these volunteers, particularly in the tribal districts, suggests that groups like the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] are attempting to reassert dominance by silencing local resistance structures,' it said.
The report said mainland KP recorded 37 militant attacks in April, marginally down from 42 in March while tribal districts reported 17 attacks last month, slightly down from 18 in March. Balochistan witnessed 21 militant attacks in April, compared to 35 in March while Punjab reported three and Sindh four attacks in April.
It said Pakistan's capital Islamabad remained peaceful in April, with no militant attacks reported for the second consecutive month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi forces crack down on drug offenders
RIYADH: Saudi authorities this week arrested foreign nationals across the Kingdom for various drug offenses, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. Security patrols in Madinah arrested two Pakistani residents for possessing 1.7 kg of methamphetamine, also known as shabu. Border Guard land patrols in the Ad-Daer sector in Jazan region arrested 14 Ethiopian nationals for smuggling 340 kg of qat. Security patrols in Jazan also thwarted the smuggling of 60,279 unregulated medical tablets and 33 kg of hashish in Fifa governorate. Initial legal procedures were completed against the violators and the seized items were handed over to the competent authorities. Security forces called on citizens and residents to report all available information about drug smuggling or promotion by calling the numbers 911 in the Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, and 999 and 994 elsewhere in the Kingdom. All reports will be handled with strict confidentiality.
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
'You can't snatch even a drop,' Pakistan warns India against restricting Indus waters
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday warned India against restricting the flow of its share of the Indus waters, saying New Delhi could not 'snatch even a drop' of water from Pakistan. India announced in April it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, in abeyance a day after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, an allegation Islamabad denies. The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin's western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes, according to the agreement. Pakistan has previously said the treaty has no provision for one side to unilaterally pull back and that any blocking of river water flowing to Pakistan will be considered 'an act of war,' while Islamabad said on Monday that the Court of Arbitration in the Hague last week issued a ruling with regard to the design of new Indian hydro-electric power stations on the western rivers that was in line with Pakistan's interpretation of the relevant provisions of the treaty. 'I want to tell this to the enemy today that you threaten to cut off our water, remember this you cannot snatch even a drop of Pakistan's share [of Indus water],' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a ceremony in Islamabad. 'If you attempt such an act, we will again teach you such a lesson that you will regret it.' Pakistan had brought a case to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2023 over the design of Indian hydro-power projects on rivers that were awarded to Pakistan under the IWT. In a ruling on Friday that was posted on its website on Monday, the court said it had jurisdiction over the dispute and ruled the treaty 'does not permit India to generate hydro-electric power on the Western Rivers based on what might be the ideal or best practices approach for engineering' of these projects. Instead, the design of these projects must adhere 'strictly' to the specifications laid down in the treaty, the court said. Pakistan's Attorney General, Mansoor Usman, said in an interview on Tuesday that, by and large, the court had accepted Pakistan's position, especially on the design issue of the new hydropower projects. 'I am sure it is clear now that India cannot construct any of these projects in violation of the court's decision,' he told Reuters. Pakistan's foreign ministry said late Monday that the court ruling said that India had to 'let flow' the waters of the three rivers for Pakistan's unrestricted use. The court said its findings are final and binding on both countries, according to the foreign office statement. But an Indian official pointed to a June statement by India's foreign ministry, which said that New Delhi has never recognized the existence in law of the Court of Arbitration. Pakistan and India engaged in a four-day military conflict in May this year, attacking each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery. The standoff killed around 70 people on both sides before the United States announced a ceasefire on Monday, although India denies agreeing to the truce on the request of Washington.
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
Deputy PM calls for modernizing port infrastructure to boost Pakistan trade competitiveness
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has called for modernizing the country's port infrastructure and streamlining the processes to bolster Pakistan's competitiveness in regional and global trade, state media reported on Tuesday. Dar said this at a meeting he presided over in Islamabad to review operations at Pakistani ports and proposals to enhance efficiency, reduce turnaround times and ensure smooth cargo handling. Pakistan is currently making efforts to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost trade and investment alongside tourism as it slowly recovers from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. 'The meeting covered measures to address port congestion, strengthen trade facilitation, and improve logistics systems to support imports, exports and overall economic activity,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. Officials say the South Asian country plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70 percent to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion. Islamabad last month reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the second largest Port Qasim. Earlier this month, Pakistan granted its first-ever ferry service license to an international operator, Sea Keepers, for routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry said on Monday. Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry hailed the move as a 'historic step,' aligned with Pakistan's National Maritime Policy, and emphasized the opportunity this license creates for boosting regional connectivity, religious tourism and economic activity via sea routes. 'Initial operations will commence from the ports of Karachi and Gwadar using modern ferry vessels equipped with essential amenities to ensure safe, affordable travel,' Chaudhry was quoted as saying by his ministry. It did not specify a date for the start of operations.
