Pakistan witnessed 70% rise in terrorist violence in November
- North Waziristan faced 6 of the total 17 reported attacks
Islamabad (PR) – Marking an increase of 70 percent from previous month, a total of 17 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan’s three provinces during November 2019. These attacks claimed 27 lives – as compared to 10 in the month before – and injured 38 others.
Among those 27 people killed in terrorist attacks in November, 18 were personnel of security and law enforcement agencies (7 FC men, 6 policemen, and 5 army soldiers), 7 were civilians, and two militants; those 38 injured included 21 civilians, and 17 personnel of security forces and law enforcement agencies. Higher casualties among law enforcers were due to the fact that 12 out of the total 17 reported attacks were targeted against them.
As in the month before, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) faced the most of reported terrorist attacks in November (12, or over 70 percent of total attacks in Pakistan), which killed 15 people, compared to 8 in previous month, and injured 16 others. Half of the total 12 reported attacks from KP concentrated in North Waziristan alone.
As many as three (3) terrorist attacks took place in Balochistan, same as in the month before, which claimed 7 lives, including 5 FC officials, and injured 8 others. Baloch insurgent groups perpetrated all these attacks.
Two terrorist attacks took place in Punjab that claimed five lives and injured 14 others. A Baloch insurgent group BLA and the Hizbul Ahrar group perpetrated these attacks.
However, marking a significant decline from the previous month, 7 cross-border attacks happened inside Pakistan, all along the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). These attacks claimed one life and injured 8 others. In previous month, 20 such attacks had killed 17 people along the LoC.
For fourth month in a row, only one anti-militant operational strike was reported during the month under review, which killed one militant in Bajaur district of KP. Meanwhile, security and law enforcement officials entered into 4 armed encounters and clashes with militants, 3 times in parts of KP and once in Balochistan. In all, 6 suspected militants were killed in these incidents.