Terror attacks up 34% as Pakistan records worst security year since 2011, say reports

Pakistan saw its bloodiest year in more than a decade in 2025, with combat-related fatalities jumping 74%, according to a fresh report by an independent think tank, reported news agency Associated Press. Militants were responsible for over half of the total deaths. Pakistan also reported a record high in the number of militants killed, but it witnessed a significant surge in militant violence in 2025. Terrorist incidents rose 34% during the year, while fatalities linked to terrorism increased by 21% compared to the previous year. In total, 699 terror attacks were reported across the country, detailed another survey, ‘Pakistan Security Report 2025’.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained strained throughout the year, with Islamabad repeatedly accusing Kabul of ignoring cross-border attacks by militant groups. Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has rejected these allegations. Tensions escalated after border clashes in October left dozens dead and hundreds injured.

Data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed that violence across the country claimed 3,413 lives in 2025, a sharp rise from 1,950 deaths recorded in 2024. Of those killed, 2,138 were militants, reported AP.

The report highlighted a 124% increase in militant fatalities compared to the previous year, attributing the surge to intensified counterterrorism operations targeting the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group, which is distinct from Afghanistan’s Taliban, has stepped up attacks on Pakistani security forces in recent years.

PICSS managing director Abdullah Khan was quoted as saying by AP the spike in deaths was partly driven by an increase in suicide attacks and the militants’ access to US military equipment left behind after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. He noted that such weapons eventually reached the Pakistani Taliban and other groups, enhancing their operational strength.

Security forces also suffered heavy losses, with 667 personnel killed in 2025 — a 26% rise from the previous year and the highest annual figure since 2011, Khan said. Civilian casualties stood at 580, marking the highest toll since 2015. The report also recorded the deaths of 28 members of pro-government peace committees.

The year’s violence resulted in at least 1,034 deaths and left 1,366 people wounded, reflecting a steady upward trend in militancy that has continued since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. These findings are detailed in the ‘Pakistan Security Report 2025’, released on Thursday by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), reported Dawn.

According to the report, the security situation deteriorated due to a combination of rising cross-border tensions, a renewed militant push, and increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by armed groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan. Security forces bore the brunt of the violence, accounting for more than 42% of all terrorism-related deaths. At least 437 personnel from the army, police and paramilitary forces lost their lives during the year.

Civilians also bore the brunt of militant attacks, with 354 non-combatants killed in terrorist incidents.

At the same time, 243 militants were killed either while carrying out suicide attacks or during counterattacks by security forces following terror incidents. The report highlights that militant activity remained highly concentrated geographically, with more than 95% of all attacks occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw a sharp 40% increase in attacks, pointing to the entrenched presence of banned outfits such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups. The province recorded the highest number of terrorist incidents nationwide, with 413 attacks in 2025. These incidents claimed 581 lives and injured 698 people.

Beyond the rise in frequency, KP also faced more complex and coordinated assaults. The report notes a wave of simultaneous attacks across 11 districts on Independence Day, describing it as a symbolic challenge to state authority.

In Balochistan, the nature of the insurgency also shifted, reported Dawn. The province experienced 254 militant attacks during the year, leading to 419 deaths and leaving 607 people injured, the media outlet reported quoting PIPS data. A 26% increase in attacks was accompanied by a move towards more coordinated and high-impact operations.

Militant groups such as the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) expanded beyond traditional hit-and-run strikes. Their operations included highway blockades, sieges and hijackings, with a clear focus on economic infrastructure and state symbols to disrupt governance and project their political objectives.

Sindh reported 21 terrorist attacks in 2025, including 16 in Karachi, two in Shikarpur, and one each in Hyderabad, Jacobabad and Jamshoro. These incidents killed 14 people and injured 17 others. Punjab recorded seven terrorist attacks during the year, down from 11 in 2024.

In Punjab, five people were killed — including four militants and one police officer — while two policemen sustained injuries. Separately, a suicide bombing outside the judicial complex housing the Islamabad district and sessions courts claimed 12 lives, reported Dawn.