Anti-Terrorism Operations
ISLAMABAD: The fight against terrorism in 2023 has seen a significant toll on security forces, reaching an eight-year high with close to 386 personnel losing their lives. The casualties include 137 army personnel and 208 police officers, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report for Q3 2023, out of 1,087 violence-related fatalities recorded during the year, the outlaws accounted for 368 (34%), while civilians suffered 333 (31%) fatalities.
The report highlighted an alarming increase in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. These two provinces collectively witnessed 72% of all fatalities in 2019, which surged to a staggering 92% in the first nine months of 2023.
KP and Balochistan emerged as the epicenter of violence, accounting for nearly 94% of fatalities and 89% of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations. The last quarter recorded a concerning 57% increase in violence, with fatalities rising from 284 in Q2 to 445 in Q3 of 2023.
In addition, this surge included a significant 131% increase in Balochistan and 28% in KP. Punjab experienced a substantial 67% decrease in violence compared to the previous quarter, while Sindh saw a 283% rise in violence, albeit with a low number of fatalities (23).
The report revealed that nearly 79% of all violence-related casualties in the third quarter of 2023 resulted from terrorism. There were 141 terrorist attacks that caused 318 fatalities and 381 injuries to civilians and security personnel.
Moreover, civilians bore the heaviest brunt of violence during this quarter, constituting 58% of all casualties, followed by security personnel at nearly 23%.
The first nine months of 2023 have revealed concerning trends in terms of security forces’ losses. Overall, report highlights sharp increase in security forces’ casualties in anti-terror campaign.
