Pakistan witnessed its highest number of terror attacks during Ramadan in a decade, according to a think tank report released Monday.Â
The Pak Institute for Peace Studies recorded at least 84 attacks during Ramadan, which ended Sunday, compared to 26 during the same period last year.
The escalation is linked to the Pakistani Taliban’s unilateral withdrawal from a ceasefire in November 2022 and the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) growing operational capabilities. The BLA was responsible for a deadly train hijacking in Balochistan on March 11, which claimed at least 25 lives.
Another think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, reported 61 attacks in the first three weeks of Ramadan, surpassing the 60 recorded in the entire month last year. It also noted that this Ramadan was the deadliest for security forces in a decade, with 56 personnel killed between March 2 and March 20.
Analysts attribute the surge to increased collaboration among militant factions, including a resurgence of banned groups like Lashkar-e-Islam. Pakistan blames Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government for harboring militants, a claim Kabul denies.
