Islamabad (PR) – About 67 percent of the total attacks reported from across Pakistan in May concentrated in Balochistan (12 attacks), which claimed in all 30 lives besides injuring 53 others. These attacks included few major attacks including one at a hotel in Gwadar and two in Quetta that targeted a mosque and a police vehicle. Pak Institute for Peace Studies’ (PIPS) monthly security review of Pakistan revealed these statistics.
On the whole, 18 terrorist attacks took place Pakistan in May 2019, as compared to 23 such attacks in the month before. These attacks killed 49 people – compared to 54 in previous month – and wounded 87 others. Over 61 percent of the total reported terrorist attacks across Pakistan (or 11) targeted security forces and law enforcement personnel, the report said.
One major attack hit policemen in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, killing 13 people including the suicide bomber and injured 23 others.
However, posting a significant decline from 15 in previous month, as many as 5 terrorist attacks were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including 4 in North Waziristan alone, which claimed 6 lives and injured 11 others.
A total of 6 cross-border attacks happened in Pakistan in May, compared to 9 such attacks in the month before, killing 6 people. Five of these attacks took place along the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), while one attack happened in North Waziristan from Afghanistan.
As many as 16 militants were killed including those linked to Islamic State (IS) group as well as Baloch insurgents in 4 anti-militant operational strikes launched by security forces in Balochistan and KP. Another six (6) militants were killed in their clashes and armed encounters with security forces and law enforcement personnel in parts of KP, Karachi and Quetta.
In all, 34 incidents of violence of different types took place in Pakistan in May that claimed the lives of 82 people and injured 115 others.