Zubair Qureshi
A 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, this was revealed according in statistics released by an Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
According to the report, 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, says the report.
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.
The 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.
