ISLAMABAD   -  A total of 59 terrorist attacks occurred across the country in August 2024, compared to 38 such attacks in the previous month.

These incidents included 29 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 28 in Balochistan and two in Punjab, killing 84 people and 166 others injured, according to the digital database of security incidents managed by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) –an Islamabad-based think tank.

Balochistan experienced 28 terrorist incidents during August 2024, which resulted in 57 deaths and injuries to another 84 people. Most of these terrorism-related casualties in the province resulted from the banned BLA-orchestrated attacks on August 26 in over seven districts of the province targeting security forces, non-Baloch Pakistanis (mainly Punjabis) and national infrastructure.

As many as 29 terrorist attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa claiming 25 lives and wounding 80 others. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Lashkar-e-Islam, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and a few local Taliban groups were reportedly involved in these attacks.

Meanwhile, two reported attacks from Punjab injured two civilians; two of the attackers were also killed.

Security forces and the counterterrorism departments (CTDs) of the police conducted 12 anti-militant operations in Pakistan in August, compared to 11 in the previous month. These operations resulted in the elimination of 88 militants; 15 army soldiers and three policemen were martyred in these actions. Eight out of the 12 reported operations took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while four others happened in Balochistan province.

Balochistan attacks

Out of the total 28 attacks recorded in Balochistan in August 2024, 26 were carried out by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), including the group’s extensive terrorist onslaught on August 26.

PIPS in its monthly security report highlights that the armed group has escalated its destructive activities, executing high-impact attacks and using female suicide bombers. On August 26 – the anniversary of Baloch chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti’s death, the group launched coordinated attacks across Balochistan.

The report underlines that the involvement of numerous militants and the use of sophisticated weaponry including vehicle-borne explosives, indicate the BLA’s growing capabilities. The group has adopted new tactics, such as targeting Punjabis on highways by checking identity cards – a development that may further strain relations between the province and the central government, which seems to be one of the banned entity’s objectives.

Positioning itself as a defender of Baloch interests, the BLA exploits grievances like enforced disappearances and resource exploitation. As the Baloch people lose faith in the political process, the group may gain more support. To counter this, the government must create political and social spaces for the Baloch people, the report advises.

Additionally, there is an urgent need to investigate the BLA’s sources of training, weapons and funding. Pakistan should engage constructively with Afghanistan and Iran to develop a joint counterterrorism and border security strategy, the report concludes.