Pakistan has witnessed a staggering increase in suicide attacks during the current year, reaching the highest levels since 2014, according to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). Disturbingly, almost half of these attacks targeted security forces.
The PICSS report for 2023 paints a grim picture, revealing a shocking escalation in suicide attacks with a total of 29 incidents, resulting in the tragic loss of 329 lives and leaving 582 individuals injured. This marks the highest death toll since 2013, underlining the severity of the situation.
Security forces bore the brunt of these attacks, with a concerning 48 percent of deaths and 58 percent of injuries inflicted upon personnel. The report highlights that 29 suicide attacks were reported, indicating a distressing 93 percent increase compared to the preceding year, 2022. The rise in resultant deaths was a staggering 226 percent, and injuries surged by 101 percent.
Delving into regional specifics, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) experienced the highest number of attacks, reporting 23 instances that resulted in 254 fatalities and 512 injuries. Within KP, the newly merged districts or erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) faced 13 suicide attacks, leading to 85 deaths and 206 injuries. Balochistan encountered five attacks, causing 67 deaths and 52 injuries, while Sindh witnessed one suicide attack resulting in eight deaths and 18 injuries.
A visual representation in the form of pie charts underscores the grim reality, illustrating that security forces were the primary targets, with civilians constituting the second-largest victim category. This raises concerns about the safety and security of both military personnel and the general public.
Examining the historical trajectory, PICSS’s militancy database indicates a notable decline in suicide attacks from 30 in 2014 to a mere three in 2019. However, there was a sudden surge in 2022, recording 15 attacks resulting in 101 deaths and 290 injuries. Unfortunately, this worrisome trend persisted into 2023, reflecting a deeply concerning security situation.
The report concludes that the share of suicide attacks in the total number of attacks increased from 3.9 percent in 2022 to 4.7 percent in 2023, emphasizing the urgency of addressing and curbing this alarming trend. The rise in such attacks poses significant challenges to the nation’s security apparatus and calls for comprehensive measures to tackle the root causes of extremism and violence.
