Baloch insurgents step up terrorist onslaught

Islamabad (PR) – Not only the number of terrorist attacks in Balochistan doubled during the month of May, but the number of people killed in these attacks also posted a significant surge. As many as 15 people lost their lives in the province (seven (7) FC men, six (6) army soldiers and two civilians) in four reported attacks perpetrated by Baloch insurgent groups. Pak Institute for Peace Studies’ (PIPS) monthly security report revealed the numbers.
Meanwhile seven reported attacks killed nine and injured as many others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the whole, 11 terrorist attacks happened in Pakistan during May 2020, an increase of about 38 percent from the month before. The number of those killed in these terrorist attacks surged by 140 percent, from 10 in April to 24 in May; 10 people were also reported injured in May.
About 55 percent of the reported attacks in May targeted security forces and law enforcement personnel. Another three attacks apparently hit civilians, and one attack targeted each of Shia Muslims and health immunization workers.
Indicating a continuing tensions at the LoC in particular, as many as 12 cross-border attacks were reported in Pakistan in the month of May; 11from across Pak-Indian border and one from Afghanistan on the western border. These attacks claimed, in all, two lives and injured 20 others.

Three (3) anti-militant operational strikes by security forces were also reported during the month under review (2 from KP and one from Punjab), which killed 9 suspected militants.
When counted together in 32 different types of incidents of violence, as many as 42 people lost their lives in Pakistan in May and 30 others were injured.