Daily Times

The Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS), in its monthly security review of the country, stated that 17 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan in September 2018, which claimed 34 lives. Out of the reported 17 attacks, 10 happened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 7 in Balochistan while no act of terrorism was reported from Punjab, Sindh, AJK, and Giligit Baltistan (GB)

The report further stated that those 34 killed in the terrorist attacks included 18 personnel of security and law enforcement agencies (9 army soldiers and 9 levies soldiers), 7 civilians and 9 militants, who were killed in retaliatory fire following some attacks.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and local Taliban groups were involved in the reported 10 terrorist attacks from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), which claimed 22 lives compared to 6 in the month before and injured 9 others, the report claimed.

The report added that in Balochistan, Baloch nationalist insurgents beefed up attacks in September 2018 after a month of relative relief. As many as 12 people lost their lives and as many others were injured in 7 reported attacks perpetrated by different Baloch insurgent groups, mainly the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Republican Army (BRA).

The report continued that about 59 percent of the total reported attacks in Pakistan during September only targeted security forces and law enforcement personnel; most of the reported casualties also resulted from these attacks (71 percent of deaths and 81 percent of injuries in total terror attacks).

Posting a 125 percent increase from the month before, a total of 11 cross-border attacks happened in September 2018, including 9 from across the Indian and 2 from Afghan border. Six people were killed and another one was injured in these attacks, the report explained.

According to the report, the security agencies conducted 3 anti-militant operations and 19 militants were killed in these operations and clashes; 4 army soldiers and 2 FC men also lost their lives.

In all, 35 incidents of violence took place in Pakistan during September 2018 that claimed the lives of 67 people and injured 32 others, the report concluded.

Published in Daily Times, October 11^th 2018.