Pakistan is confronting an alarming rise in suicide bombings, with the Islamic nation recording 18 such attacks in the first seven months of 2023, an Islamabad-based think tank has reported.
In the 18 attacks carried out by suicide bombers till 31 July 2023, over 200 individuals were killed while more than 450 others were wounded.
In the 18 attacks carried out by suicide bombers till 31 July 2023, over 200 individuals were killed while more than 450 others were wounded.
Among the dead are dozens of security personnel who lost their lives in the deadly bombing of a Peshawar mosque in January. Notably, the mosque, located in the high-security zone of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) provincial capital, also housed the Counter-Terrorism Department's headquarters.
The suicide attack in Peshawar city was one of the worst for Pakistani law enforcers. It left scores of policemen dead when they were performing afternoon prayers in the mosque.
The suicide attack in Peshawar city was one of the worst for Pakistani law enforcers. It left scores of policemen dead when they were performing afternoon prayers in the mosque.
Suicide Attacks in 2023 Surpass Figures of 2022
In 2022, a total of 15 suicide attacks took place in Pakistan. The previous year's overall record has already been shattered in the first seven months of 2023.
According to the findings of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the country's premier think tank tracking terrorist attacks, the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the worst hit among all the regions of the South Asian nation.
The PICSS mentioned in its report that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's tribal districts, formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), faced nine suicide attacks in 2023. This resulted in the deaths of nearly 60, besides leaving more than 150 injured.
However, Sunday's suicide bombing of a political rally organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F), an alliance partner in Pakistan's ruling coalition, in the Bajaur district of KP, was the deadliest among all in the tribal region.
The weekend terrorist attack claimed the lives of at least 54 persons.
Even the major cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been targeted. The attacks on "Mainland" KP, have resulted in the killings of over 110 people while the number of injured stood at 245.
Restive Balochistan Experiences Spurt in Violence
Like KP, the restive Balochistan region, where the Pakistan Army has been fighting an armed insurgency for years, has been hit by a series of suicide attacks in 2023.
In the first seven months, Balochistan has recorded 4 suicide attacks, leaving 14 dead and another 27 injured.