Overall militant violence fell in June, but major attacks continued: PICSS

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan saw a drop in overall anti-state violence and related security incidents in June, although several high-profile attacks still took place during the month, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The Islamabad-based think tank said 262 people were killed during the month. Of them, 184 were terrorists killed in operations by Pakistani security forces, the largest share of the total fatalities. PICSS said 52 civilians and 26 security personnel were also among those killed.

134 people were injured in June, including 63 civilians, 50 members of the security forces, 18 pro-government peace committee members and three terrorists. Compared with May, fatalities among security personnel fell by 62 per cent, while civilian deaths declined by 27 per cent. The number of militants killed also decreased by 32 per cent, according to the assessment.

PICSS also recorded a 43 per cent decline in injuries during June compared with the previous month. Despite that broader reduction, the think tank said the month was still marked by a number of major attacks, indicating that high-impact violence remained a concern even as the overall trend moved downward.