As many as 27 lives lost in 15 militant attacks last month: report

January spike in violence follows a historical pattern: Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies report

ISLAMABAD: Following a historical pattern of a rise in violence at the beginning of the year, January 2020, repeated that pattern as the number of militant attacks and the resultant deaths increased in the first month of the new calendar year when compared to last month of the previous calendar year.

This was stated in the monthly security assessment report issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The institute is an Islamabad-based independent think tank.

The PICSS report noted that as many as 15 militant attacks were recorded in January this year in which 27 people were killed and 60 others were injured.

In the first month of the last year (2019), PICSS had recorded 19 militant attacks in which 41 people were killed and 52 were injured.

Out of the 15 attacks in January 2020, five were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) — excluding the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata), where three people were killed and 12 others were injured.

In the newly-merged tribal districts (NMTDs), three militant attacks were witnessed in which at least one security official killed and three others injured.

Balochistan witnessed four militant attacks in which 19 people were killed and 37 others were injured. A further two militant attacks were reported from Punjab, in which three people were killed and eight others were injured. Sindh saw one militant attack in which one person was killed.

In the previous month, December 2019, 11 militant attacks were reported from across the country in which 12 people were killed and 26 others were injured. Thus, January witnessed an increase of 36 per cent in the number of attacks which resulted in a 125 per cent increase in the number of deaths and 131 per cent increase in injuries, when compared with December.

Among these 15 militant attacks, a third were incidents of targeted killings in which eight people were killed, including four civilians, three security forces personnel and a militant. As many as five others were also injured, including four civilians and a security official.

The month witnessed just one suicide attack in which 16 people, including 14 civilians, were killed and 19 others were injured.

Four improvised explosive devices (IED)-based attacks were also witnessed during the month which caused three deaths and injuries to 24 others. There were also four grenade attacks which caused injuries to 12 people.

Mainly civilians were at the receiving end in a majority of these attacks. A mortar attack was also reported which caused no human loss.

An increase in counter-terrorism action from security forces was also observed in January as 16 security operations were monitored in which 20 suspected militants were killed and 19 others were apprehended. As many as two security forces personnel lost their lives and another was injured in these operations.

December had witnessed nine security forces actions in which seven people including four militants were killed three others were injured while 13 suspects were apprehended.

Explaining the cycle of increase in violence in January, the report suggested that perhaps the turn of the year was a time for militants to demonstrate new commitment or an attempt to seek financial resources or maybe both.