Shillong, October 1: A concerning surge in violence has taken a toll on Pakistani security personnel in the first nine months of 2023, with a total of 386 lives lost, including 137 Army personnel and 208 policemen. Most of these casualties occurred in the fight against terrorism, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, marking an eight-year high.
As per IANS, a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) for Q3 2023 reveals that there have been 1,087 violence-related fatalities this year. Out of these, the armed groups responsible for the violence suffered 368 (34 percent) fatalities, while civilians accounted for 333 (31 percent) of the casualties.
The situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan is particularly alarming, with a consistent increase in violence over the past five years. These two provinces collectively experienced 72 percent of all fatalities in 2019, which has escalated to a staggering 92 percent in the first nine months of 2023.
During the third quarter of 2023, 445 lives were lost, and 440 people were injured in 190 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. KP and Balochistan remained the epicenters of this violence, contributing to nearly 94 percent of fatalities and 89 percent of all attacks recorded during this period.
The last quarter witnessed a concerning 57 percent increase in violence compared to the previous quarter, with fatalities rising from 284 in Q2 to 445 in Q3 of 2023.
