Security nightmare in Pakistan? Country reports highest instances of suicide attacks since 2014
Pakistan in 2023 witnessed a distressing surge in suicide attacks, marking the highest level since 2014, as per the latest report from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The data revealed that nearly half of the deaths caused by these suicide attacks targeted security forces.
To be specific, 48 per cent of these deaths and 58 per cent of injuries were inflicted upon security personnel, Pakistan’s local media outlet Dawn reported while citing the PICSS report.
In 2023, a total of 29 suicide attacks were reported, resulting in the tragic loss of 329 lives and leaving 582 individuals injured.
This alarming statistic represented a significant increase of over 90 per cent from the previous year, with a 226 per cent rise in the number of deaths and a 101 per cent surge in the number of injured people.
Moreover, the share of suicide attacks in the total number of attacks rose from 3.9 per cent in 2022 to 4.7 per cent in 2023.
Instances of suicide attacks on regional basis
In terms of regional impact, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan was hit hard. It reportedly saw 23 instances of suicide attacks, leading to 254 deaths and 512 injuries.
The newly merged districts or formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in KP province saw a total of 13 suicide attacks. These 13 attacks altogether caused 85 deaths and 206 injuries.
Moreover, Balochistan, the province that is hit by militancy and insurgency from various Baloch separatist groups, witnessed five attacks, causing 67 deaths and 52 injuries.
The Pakistani government has, at times, pursued military operations to address security challenges in Balochistan. However, these actions have also been criticised for exacerbating tensions and fueling resentment among the Baloch population.
Sindh, on the other hand, saw one suicide attack resulting in eight deaths and 18 injuries.
The data highlighted that security forces were the primary targets of these attacks. The second-largest category of people affected were civilians.
(With inputs from agencies)