- Despite a 29pc rise in attacks, overall casualties dropped 19pc due to a stronger response: PICSS
- Says 72 security personnel and 31 civilians martyred, while 92 troops and 48 civilians injured
- 209 militants killed, including top TTP commander Qari Amjad, the group’s biggest blow since 2014
- 67 militants killed, marking province’s highest monthly death toll since 2002 in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Militants in Pakistan suffered their heaviest losses in a decade during October as security forces intensified nationwide counterterrorism operations, killing 355 militants in a single month—the highest toll since 2015—according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The Islamabad-based think tank reported that the surge in militant deaths reflected a decisive shift in Pakistan’s counter-militancy campaign, even as sporadic attacks continued in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the tribal belt.
PICSS data showed that while militant attacks rose from 69 in September to 89 in October, representing a 29 percent increase, overall human losses in these attacks fell by 19 per cent. The report noted that 72 security personnel and 31 civilians, including a peace committee member in Bannu, were killed last month, alongside the 355 militants neutralized by security forces.
Another 92 security personnel, 48 civilians, and 22 militants were injured, the think tank said, while militants kidnapped 55 people—the highest monthly figure of abductions in ten years. Security forces also arrested 22 suspected militants in various intelligence-led operations.
In Balochistan, 23 militant attacks were recorded compared to 21 in September, but casualties dropped sharply, with 16 security personnel and three civilians killed. PICSS reported that 67 militants were eliminated in the province—the highest monthly toll in Balochistan since 2002—marking what it called a “significant improvement in the province’s security environment,” with civilian deaths declining by 92 percent and security personnel fatalities by 52 percent.
In the former tribal areas, 22 militant attacks were recorded—the same number as in September—but casualties spiked. Thirty-one people, including 18 security personnel and 13 civilians, were killed, while 45 others were injured. Militants also kidnapped 18 people from the region. Security operations there killed 209 militants, the highest single-month figure since November 2014, including the TTP’s former deputy emir and shadow defense minister, Qari Amjad—one of the group’s most senior leaders eliminated since its formation in 2007.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 37 militant attacks left 48 dead, including 21 security personnel, 10 civilians, 16 militants, and one peace committee member. Security forces killed 55 militants in retaliatory operations, while 42 people, mostly security personnel, were injured.
In Sindh, three militant attacks resulted in three civilian deaths and seven injuries, including those from the Balochistan Liberation Army’s IED attack on the Jaffar Express in Shikarpur. The report also cited increased activity of the Zainabiyoun Brigade, with eight suspected militants, including key commanders, arrested.
Gilgit-Baltistan recorded three attacks, including two attempted target killings reportedly by the Zainabiyoun Brigade, and the abduction of two Wapda officials by TTP militants. In Punjab, one low-intensity attack was reported in Mianwali, where TTP operatives blew up a gas pipeline, while an Al-Qaeda operative was arrested from Okara.
Cumulatively, PICSS documented 2,853 deaths in the first ten months of 2025 — including 1,734 militants, 601 security personnel, 497 civilians, and 21 pro-government combatants.
The institute concluded that while militant violence remains a serious challenge, the sharp rise in militant deaths underscores the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations and the improved coordination among security institutions.
In March, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45 percent to 1,081 over the previous year—a reminder, the report added, of the scale of threat still confronting the nation despite recent gains.
