Pakistan: Over 850 people killed or injured in terrorist attacks, counter-terrorism operations from January to March

Islamabad: A recently released report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) has said that at least 854 people were killed or injured in terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations in the first quarter of this year, a number that was half of what was witnessed during 2022, The Nation reported.

The rise in the number of people who were killed or injured in terrorist attacks underscores how serious the challenge is and Pakistan is in the middle of a full-blown internal war. As per the news report, Pakistan needs to have a national consensus to eradicate the menace. According to the report, the number of deaths was 358 while injuries were 496 which were caused due to 219 terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations during the January-March period, The Nation reported.

According to the report, the majority of the deaths have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by Balochistan, and then in Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad. January was extremely fatal for the security forces, with the second-highest number of fatalities of security personnel in a single month, second only to July 2014 with 118 fatalities, as per the news report.

The statistics have revealed that the number of civilian casualties has reduced and the main target of security of terrorist groups has been security forces. The fatalities of security and government officials have almost doubled in comparison to the first quarter of last year, according to The Nation.

The majority of the attention has been centred around Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the numbers reveal that there are many other outfits that have started operating in over the past year or so, as per the news report. The development only demonstrates how this challenge will need a multifaceted and coordinated approach.

The past mistakes of Pakistan in engaging with the terrorists and giving them space to recuperate have cost the nation heavily. The news report called Pakistan's military leadership right in calling for a collective approach which involves the entire nation and the government to remove terrorism. (ANI)