An Overview
This month a new trend of female suicide bombing emerged on Pakistan’s security landscape. The August 11 suicide attack in Peshawar—coming after a lull of almost two months—was third documented incidents in which police confirmed involvement of a woman suicide attacker in Pakistan. The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) remained volatile where militants’ attacks and ambushes on security forces’ convoys and check posts continued unabated. However, attacks on government installations and educational institutes were relatively low. Cross border militant incursions from Afghanistan into border areas and villages of Pakistan were negligibly low in this month compared to previous months. Security forces ongoing counter militancy operations Barekhna (lightening) in Mohmand and Spain Gher (White Mountain) in central Kurram Agency continued.

Amid conflicting demands, of calling in army to control deteriorating law and order situation and restoration of peace in Karachi, between PPP-MQM and MQM-ANP city once again reverberated with ethnically motivated targeted killings and sectarian violence. Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) were giving special powers of policing to control the situation in Karachi. Meanwhile due to death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti there was an upsurge of violence in Balochistan as Bloch militants stepped up their attacks against Pakistani security forces and government installations. At the same the recovery of bullet riddled bodies of Baloch youth continued unabated. In retaliation Baloch insurgents target killed Punjabi settlers in different parts of the province. With the exception of two kidnapping incidents, of a US citizen and Shahbaz Taseer, son of former Punjab Governor Slaman Taseer, in Lahore the overall security situation in Punjab was peaceful. Similarly with no terrorist attacks security situation in Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan was also peaceful.   

This month a total of 171 terrorist attacks—including four suicide attacks—were reported which claimed lives of 270 people and injured 466 others. Balochistan was the most volatile are of the country where 63 reported attacks left 101 people dead and 123 others injured. Meanwhile with 59 attacks, which killed 109 people and injured 123 others, FATA was the second most volatile area of the country. In KPK as many as 42 terrorist attacks left 53 people dead and 97 others wounded. Similarly two terrorist attacks coupled with 18 incidents of ethno-political violence left182 people dead and another 100 injured. (See Chart 1) 

Chart 1: Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan in August 2011

If the casualties in terrorist attacks, operational attacks by the security forces and their clashes with the militants, inter-tribal clashes and cross border attacks throughout the country are counted collectively, the overall number of casualties reaches 694 killed and 676 injured. In 18 incidents of ethno-political violence 180 people were killed and 92 others were wounded. Whereas 12 border attacks and clashes —including six drone strikes—killed 46 people and injured 24 others. Moreover, 17 inter-tribal clashes reported in different areas of KPK, FATA and Balochistan claimed lives of 87 people and injured 30 others.  (See Table 2)

Table 2: Nature of Attacks
Type of attack/clash	Number of attacks/clashes	Killed	Injured
Terrorist/insurgent attacks	171	270	466
Clashes b/w security forces and militants	18	41	44
Operational attacks by security forces	11	70	20
Drone attacks	6	41	16
Border clashes	6	5	8
Political and ethnic violence	18	180	92
Inter-tribal clashes	17	87	30
Total	247	694	676

Comparing last six months’ security landscape with August’s security features reveals a slight downward trend. The overall number of attacks and incidents of violence have decreased from 284 to 247 due to a dip in incidents of ethno-political violence and clashes between the security forces and militants. Similarly the number of casualties has gone down owing to relatively less number of number of civilians killed in terrorist attacks as well as a decline in casualty of security personnel and militants in their clashes. Last month clashes between the security forces and militants claimed as many as 179 lives and caused 97 injuries compared to 41 killings and 44 injuries in this month. (See Chart 3)

Chart 3: Comparison with Five Months’ Figure

The maximum number of casualties is of civilians with 399 life losses and 465 injuries, with a majority of them being killed in terrorist attacks and incidents of ethno political violence. Meanwhile second highest number of casualties is of militants who have been killed in security forces’ operational attacks and clashes of the militants with the security forces as well as US-led predator drone strikes. The militants suffered 207 death casualties and 83 injuries. In terrorist attacks and their clashes with the militants security forces lost 66 troops; among them 26 FC, 33 police, 22 army, five Levies and two paramilitary forces personnel and injured 111others—including 70 FC, 33 police, 17 army and eight paramilitary force personnel. (See Table 4, 4a)  

Table 4: Detail of Casualties August 2011

Table 4a: Distribution of Casualties August 2011 Type Killed Injured FC 26 70 Militants 207 83 Civilian 399 465 Police 33 33 Paramilitary 2 8 Army 22 17 Lvs 5 - Rng - - Total 694 676

Among a variety of tactics used by the militants the most commonly used tactic was of firing or shooting with 59 reported incidents. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were the second most commonly used tactic with 51 reported incidents. Meanwhile targeted killings were the third most commonly used tactic with 13 reported incidents. (See Table 5)