An Overview
In April 2009, a total of 229 terrorist, insurgent and sectarian attacks were reported across the country. These attacks killed 468 people and injured 237. The highest number of attacks was reported from North Western Frontier Province, NWFP (99), followed by Balochistan (88) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, FATA (42). Two terrorist attacks each were reported from Punjab, Karachi, Sindh and Northern Areas of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (see Chart 1).
|
Chart 1: Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan in April 2009
|
|
|
If casualties in operational attacks, clashes between security forces and terrorists, clashes between rival/sectarian tribes, ethno-political violence, and cross-border attacks and clashes are counted collectively, the overall number of casualties reaches 536 killed and 775 injured (see Table 2).
|
Table 2: Nature of Attacks
|
|
Type of attack/clash
|
Number of attacks/clashes
|
Killed
|
Injured
|
|
Terrorist/insurgent attacks
|
237
|
229
|
468
|
|
Clashes b/w security forces and militants
|
5
|
27
|
23
|
|
Operational attacks by security forces
|
21
|
162
|
138
|
|
Cross-border attacks inside tribal areas
|
7
|
35
|
30
|
|
Political and ethnic violence
|
21
|
57
|
76
|
|
Inter-tribal clashes
|
5
|
26
|
40
|
|
Total
|
296
|
536
|
775
|
The casualty figure in April was a higher number than the casualty figure in last month, March, but lesser than the casualty figures in January and February (see Table 3).
|
Table 3: Comparison with Last Three Months’ Figures
|
|
Month
|
Total attacks
|
Monthly percent change (%) in attacks
|
Killed
|
Injured
|
|
Jan. 2009
|
333
|
|
628
|
721
|
|
Feb. 2009
|
282
|
15.31% decrease
|
679
|
915
|
|
Mar. 2009
|
243
|
13.83% decrease
|
510
|
702
|
|
Apr. 2009
|
296
|
21.81% increase
|
536
|
775
|
The terrorist/insurgent attacks across the country caused the maximum number of casualties killing 229 people and injuring another 468; As many as 90 people were killed and 232 injured in 4 suicide attacks. The operational attacks by the security forces killed 162 people and injured 138. The ethno-political violence, mainly in Karachi, also killed 57 people and injured 76.
The maximum casualties were of civilians, 267 killed and 502 injured, followed by terrorists, 187 killed and 139 injured, and security forces including army, police and paramilitary forces, 82 killed and 134 injured (see Table 4).
|
Table 4: Detail of Casualties
|
|
Type
|
Killed
|
Injured
|
|
Civilian
|
267
|
502
|
|
Militants
|
187
|
139
|
|
FC
|
12
|
56
|
|
Army
|
26
|
21
|
|
Police
|
35
|
44
|
|
Paramilitary
|
8
|
8
|
|
Lvs
|
0
|
1
|
|
Rng
|
1
|
4
|
|
Total
|
536
|
775
|
The militants used diverse tactics to hit their targets in NWFP, FATA, Balochistan and other parts of the country. Maximum incidents, however, were reported of firing and target killing, mainly in Karachi, Balochistan and NWFP. As many as 36 incidents of bomb blasts, 24 IEDs blasts and 35 rocket attacks were also among the total terrorist attacks across the country (see Table 5).
|
Table 5: Attack Tactics
|
|
Tactic
|
Number of incidents
|
|
Suicide attacks
|
4
|
|
Rocket attacks
|
35
|
|
Beheadings
|
6
|
|
Remote-controlled bombs
|
16
|
|
Kidnapping
|
9
|
|
Landmines
|
19
|
|
Firing
|
47
|
|
Sabotage, burn, fire
|
14
|
|
Target killings
|
8
|
|
Bomb blasts
|
36
|
|
Hand grenades
|
19
|
|
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
|
24
|
