ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan experienced a second consecutive month of improving security indicators in April 2026, with militant attacks and related casualties declining sharply, according to a new report by the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The think tank recorded 85 verified militant attacks in April, down from 146 in March, a decline of 42%, while deaths from such attacks fell from 106 to 60, extending a downward trajectory that began the previous month.
The report attributes the improvement to Pakistan’s cross-border military campaign against militant groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18, which then gave way to a suspension of hostilities and talks in Urumqi, China.
The operation, named Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, was launched following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.
Despite the decline in attacks, total combat-related deaths, including those caused by militant violence and security operations, rose to 291 in April.
Militants accounted for 224 of these deaths, representing 77% of the total.
The remaining victims included 28 security personnel, 37 civilians and two members of pro-government peace committees.
Losses among security forces decreased significantly from 59 in March to 28 in April, a decrease of 53%, while civilian deaths remained relatively stable, falling slightly from 39 to 37.
The report also highlighted a notable reduction in injuries. Overall injuries decreased from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38% decrease.
Civilian injuries decreased from 98 to 54, while militant injuries decreased from 57 to 31.
Injuries among security personnel decreased marginally from 48 to 46, and no injuries were reported among members of the pro-government peace committee.
According to PICSS, most of the 85 attacks recorded in April were low-intensity incidents, although some high-impact events stood out.
These included two suicide attacks in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a major assault on a mining facility in Chagai district of Balochistan.
Regionally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the worst affected province, followed by Balochistan. In mainland Pakistan, attacks decreased slightly from 51 in March to 45 in April, while deaths remained unchanged at 34.
The most significant improvement was recorded in KP’s tribal districts, where attacks decreased by 40%, from 35 to 21, and deaths fell dramatically by 82%, to just six.
At the same time, security forces intensified operations in these areas, killing 120 militants in April (up from 24 in March), accounting for more than half of all militant deaths nationwide during the month.
