Militants suffer decade-high losses in Oct: PICSS

Attacks drop 52 per cent in September

Militants in Pakistan faced their most significant losses in a decade in October, as security forces ramped up counter-terror operations across several regions, according to figures compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The development follows a setback for militants in September, when 69 attacks were recorded — a 52 per cent drop compared to August — the Islamabad-based think tank said in its latest report.

The PICSS reported that 355 militants were killed in October, while 72 security personnel and 31 civilians, including a peace committee member in Bannu, lost their lives.

The institute's Militancy Database further showed that 92 security personnel, 48 civilians, and 22 militants sustained injuries across the country.

While the think tank reported a 29 per cent surge in militant attacks — rising from 69 in September to 89 in October — it also noted a 19 per cent decline in overall casualties.

According to the report, militants abducted 55 people during October — the highest monthly figure of kidnappings in the past decade — while security forces arrested 22 suspected militants.

The data showed that militant-initiated violence claimed the lives of 55 security personnel, 29 civilians, a peace committee member, and 24 militants, while 88 security officials, 45 civilians, and one militant were injured.

In Balochistan, the number of militant attacks increased slightly from 21 in September to 23 in October. However, fatalities dropped significantly.