ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan saw a second straight month of improving security indicators in April 2026, with militant attacks and related casualties dropping sharply, according to a new report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The think tank recorded 85 verified militant attacks in April, down from 146 in Marcha 42% decline, while fatalities from such attacks fell from 106 to 60, extending a downward trajectory that began in 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 later 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, overall combat-related deaths, including those from militant violence and security operations, stood at 291 in April.
Militants accounted for 224 of these deaths, representing 77% of the total.
The remaining casualties included 28 security personnel, 37 civilians, and two members of pro-government peace committees.
Losses among security forces dropped significantly from 59 in March to 28 in April, a 53% decrease, while civilian fatalities remained relatively stable, falling slightly from 39 to 37.
The report also highlighted a notable reduction in injuries. Overall injuries declined from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38% decrease.
Civilian injuries fell from 98 to 54, while militant injuries dropped from 57 to 31.
Injuries among security personnel decreased marginally from 48 to 46, and no injuries were reported among pro-government peace committee members.
According to PICSS, most of the 85 attacks recorded in April were low-intensity incidents, although a few 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 most affected province, followed by Balochistan. In mainland K-P, attacks declined slightly from 51 in March to 45 in April, while fatalities remained unchanged at 34.
The most significant improvement was recorded in K-P’s tribal districts, where attacks dropped by 40% from 35 to 21, and deaths fell sharply 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.
