Army says more than 75,000 operations were carried out as attacks and casualties reached record levels
Pakistan’s top military spokesperson, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, will address a news conference on Tuesday. SCREEN CAPTURE
Pakistan’s top military spokesman, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Tuesday that 2025 was a “historic and momentous year” in the country’s fight against terrorism, as security forces carried out an unprecedented number of counter-terrorism operations amid a surge in attacks.
At a news conference, Chaudhry said the purpose of the briefing was to provide a comprehensive overview of counterterrorism measures taken over the past year.
“This is the sole purpose of this press conference, and I would request that we remain focused on the fight against terrorism, as terrorism is the biggest threat facing the State of Pakistan at the moment,” he said.
He said security forces carried out an extensive nationwide campaign in 2025, carrying out an average of more than 206 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) per day. At the end of the year, the total number of IBOs reached 75,175.
Most of the operations were carried out in Balochistan, where 58,778 IBOs were carried out. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed with 14,658 operations, while 1,739 were carried out in the rest of the country.
Chaudhry said 5,397 terrorist incidents were reported across the country during the year. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst affected, with 3,811 incidents, or 71% of the total. In Balochistan, 1,557 incidents occurred, which is 29%, while only 29 incidents were reported in other parts of Pakistan.
He said security forces killed 2,597 militants during the year, including 1,803 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 784 in Balochistan. A total of 27 suicide bombers were reported, 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Balochistan.
The military spokesman said Fitna-al-Hindustan – a term he used to refer to Baloch militant groups – had no connection with Balochistan. He added that the security forces faced intense challenges, with 1,235 soldiers martyred during the operations.
Chaudhry said 2021 marked a turning point in the terrorism landscape following the events in Afghanistan. He referred to the Doha agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the United States and its international partners, which included commitments to form an inclusive government, prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorism and protect women’s rights.
However, he said those commitments were not met. No inclusive government was formed, Afghan territory was used by multiple militant groups and organizations like Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) started operating from Afghanistan, posing a threat to Pakistan.
He added that due to the situation in Syria, around 2,500 militants have recently moved to Afghanistan, claiming that they are neither Afghans nor Pakistanis.
Presenting data from 2021 to 2025, Chaudhry said terrorism-related incidents showed a steady and then sharp increase. In 2021, there were 761 incidents, with 193 militants killed and 592 security personnel martyred.
In 2022, incidents increased to 1,020. Security forces killed 443 militants, while 644 personnel were martyred, he said.
The situation worsened in 2023, when incidents rose to 1,811. During the year, 691 militants were killed and 980 personnel lost their lives.
In 2024, incidents increased further to 3,014. The number of militants killed rose to 1,053, while 989 security personnel were martyred, he said.
“The increase peaked in 2025,” Chaudhry said. “Incidents increased to 5,397, 2,597 militants were killed and the number of martyred personnel reached its highest level at 1,235.”
The Indian connection
The DG ISPR said the second important factor driving terrorism was the war economy. Citing recent reports, he said around $147 billion was spent rebuilding Afghanistan, adding that questions are now being raised about where the money went.
He said that when this flow of money stops, groups that sustain themselves through a war economy try to keep it alive by spreading conflict and terrorism throughout the region.
Referring to what he called new investment patterns linked to terrorism, the military spokesman said the most significant pattern affecting Pakistan points towards India. He said the operational base of those groups was in Afghanistan, while funding and support came from India.
He also said that US military equipment worth $7.2 billion, including advanced weapons, was left abandoned in Afghanistan.
Chaudhry added that political and internal facilitation also took place during the same period and said Pakistan took a firm stance against these elements in 2023.
The DG ISPR further stated that a false narrative is being promoted suggesting that the fight against terrorism is just a military war. He stressed that this is not just a war of the army, but a war of the people and a fight of all the children of the nation.
He warned that if the nation does not remain united against terrorism, its consequences will reach homes, schools, markets and offices, with attacks carried out in everyday spaces of public life.
Major attacks of 2025
In 2025, a series of major terrorist attacks were reported across the country, targeting military installations, law enforcement personnel, civilians, and children.
On March 4, Bannu Cantonment in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa came under military attack. The incident left 18 people martyred, including five members of the law enforcement agencies and 13 civilians. Security forces killed 16 militants.
A week later, on March 11, the Jaffar Express was attacked in Bolan, targeting civilians. The attack killed 25 people (four law enforcement officers and 21 civilians) and 33 militants, making it one of the deadliest attacks of the year.
On March 16, a civilian bus carrying Border Corps personnel was attacked in Nushki, killing five people, including three law enforcement officers and two civilians. Security forces killed three militants.
The violence then spread to the children. On May 21, a school bus was attacked in Khuzdar, killing five civilians. One militant was killed in the incident.
After a brief pause, the attacks resumed in September. On September 2, the Frontier Corps North headquarters in Bannu was attacked, leaving six law enforcement officers martyred. Five militants were killed. Later that month, on September 30, an attack on the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta killed 11 people, including three law enforcement officers and eight civilians, while six militants were killed.
In October, militants attacked police training facilities. On October 10, a police training school in Dera Ismail Khan was attacked, killing seven people: six law enforcement officers and one civilian. Five militants were killed.
New attacks occurred in November. On November 10, a cadet school in Wana was attacked, killing five people, including three law enforcement officers and two civilians. Five militants were killed. The next day, November 11, an attack on the Islamabad Judicial Complex killed 11 civilians and one militant.
The last incident listed occurred on November 24 in Peshawar, where a second attack on the Frontier Corps North headquarters killed three law enforcement officers. Three militants died in the operation.
– This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
