By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Militants in Pakistan endured their most severe setbacks in a decade during October, with security forces killing 355 insurgents in intensified operations across the country, according to a monthly report released by an Islamabad-based think tank.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, which compiles data on militancy, said the toll marked a sharp escalation in counterterrorism efforts, even as the number of militant attacks rose slightly from the previous month. The institute’s findings underscored a broader trend of declining civilian and security force casualties in some regions, though abductions by insurgents reached their highest level in 10 years.
The report, drawn from the institute’s militancy database, detailed 89 militant attacks in October, a 29 percent increase from the 69 recorded in September. Yet overall human losses from these attacks fell by 19 percent. Militants killed 55 security personnel, 29 civilians and one peace committee member in Bannu, while injuring 88 security personnel, 45 civilians and one militant.
In counterterrorism operations, security forces eliminated 355 militants, the highest monthly figure in a decade, while 72 security personnel and 31 civilians lost their lives. Another 92 security personnel, 48 civilians and 22 militants were injured. The institute also noted that militants kidnapped 55 people last month, the highest monthly abduction tally in 10 years, and that security forces arrested 22 suspected militants.
The surge in militant deaths highlighted what the institute described as the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, despite persistent violence. Cumulatively, through the first 10 months of 2025, the institute recorded 2,853 deaths nationwide, including 1,734 militants, 601 security personnel, 497 civilians and 21 pro-government combatants.
A regional breakdown in the report revealed stark variations. In Balochistan, militants carried out 23 attacks in October, up from 21 in September, but casualties dropped significantly: 16 security personnel and three civilians were killed, compared with 33 security personnel and 38 civilians the previous month. The number of militants killed in attacks remained at eight for both months, while injuries among security personnel fell from 37 to 15, and among civilians from 85 to 20; one militant was also wounded. Militants kidnapped 31 people in Balochistan, mostly laborers, the report said.
In counterterrorism operations there, security forces killed 67 militants, the highest monthly toll in the province since the current wave of militancy began in 2002. The institute pointed to this as a notable improvement, with civilian deaths declining by 92 percent and security personnel fatalities by 52 percent.
In the tribal belt, formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, 22 militant attacks were recorded, matching September’s figure, but casualties rose sharply. Thirty-one people died, including 18 security personnel and 13 civilians, while 45 were wounded, 32 security personnel and 13 civilians. Militants abducted 18 people from the region. The institute noted a 200 percent increase in security personnel deaths, from six to 18, and a 48 percent overall rise in fatalities, including militants. Security operations killed 209 militants, the highest single-month toll since November 2014. Sixteen security personnel died in these operations, including in the deadliest incident in Orakzai district, which sparked border tensions with Afghanistan.
The report confirmed that security forces eliminated Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s former deputy emir and shadow defence minister, Qari Amjad, in Bajaur, the most high-profile death in the group’s history since its inception in 2007.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province saw the sharpest rise in attacks, with 37 in October compared with 25 in September, leading to 48 deaths: 21 security personnel, 10 civilians, 16 militants and one peace committee member. Forty-two people were injured, including 35 security personnel and seven civilians, and militants kidnapped four people. Security operations killed 55 militants, down from 88 in September, while one security officer died.
In Sindh Province, three militant attacks killed three civilians and injured seven people, including four civilians and three security personnel. The institute reported increased activity by the proscribed Zainabiyoun Brigade, with eight suspected militants arrested, including key commanders.
The Balochistan Liberation Army targeted the Jaffar Express train in Shikarpur district with an improvised explosive device, derailing four bogies and injuring seven passengers. Gilgit-Baltistan experienced three attacks, including two attempted target killings apparently by the Zainabiyoun Brigade, while the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan abducted two officials of the Water and Power Development Authority.
In Punjab Province, one low-intensity attack occurred when Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants blew up a gas pipeline in Mianwali district. Security forces arrested an Al-Qaeda operative in Okara district.
The October figures followed a September in which militants were put on the back foot, with attacks declining by 52 percent from August, the institute said. The broader context remains grim: In March, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with deaths from terrorist attacks rising by 45 percent to 1,081 over the previous year.
The institute concluded that while militant violence persists, the sharp rise in militant deaths underscores the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations.
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