Quarterly Security Report Q2, April-June, 2020

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Casualties from Violence in Pakistan

A total of 185 casualties were recorded during second quarter in 2020 (139 fatalities and 46 injuries). Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) had the highest number of casualties followed by Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and Islamabad. There were no violence-related casualties reported from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Despite continued military operations, the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) regions of KP continue to be militancy hot spots (table 01).

Table 1: Casualties from violence by region – Q2, 2020
RegionFatalitiesInjuriesTotal
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) – including FATA8325108
Sindh26228
Balochistan21425
Punjab61218
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)336
Grand Total13946185

Compared to the last quarter’s figures, KP and Sindh appeared to be the only two provinces where fatalities from violence went up while the remaining provinces showed a significant decline (table 02).

Table 2: Fatalities from violence by region – Q1 2020 vs. Q2 2020
RegionQ1 2020Q2 2020% Change
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) – including FATA748312.2%
Sindh926188.9%
Balochistan4021-47.5%
Punjab146-57.1%
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)330.0%
Total140139-0.7%

June was the only month when the fatalities from violence showed a marked uptick, the other two months, April and May, showed moderate decline in violence throughout the country (table 03).

Table 3: Comparative data on fatalities by month  – Q1 vs. Q2 2020
MonthQ1 2020Q2 2020% Change
January 2020 vs. April 20205344-17.0%
February 2020 vs. May 20205451-5.6%
March 2020 vs. June 2020334433.3%
Total140139-0.7%

For the first time since the inception of this report in 2012, Quetta district experienced zero violence-related fatalities. North Waziristan, Karachi, Bolan, Makran, Bahawalpur, Buner, and Ghotki districts showed a significant increase in the number of fatalities from violence (table 04).

Table 4: Fatalities by district – Q1 2020 vs. Q2 2020
Districts/Agency/RegionQ1 2020Q2 2020
N. Waziristan2147
Karachi818
Bajaur98
Bolan07
Lakki Marwat67
Makran06
Panjgur35
Bahawalpur04
Peshawar64
Buner03
Ghotki03
Islamabad33
Kohat33
Mohmand03
Sukkur02
Swat02
Kurram02
Badin01
Bannu21
Batkhela01
Chakwal01
Dukki01
Jacobabad01
Kalat01
Kandhkot01
Mastung01
Rawalpindi71
S. Waziristan01
Tank101
Quetta300
Attock10
Charsadda10
D.I. Khan50
Dir30
Gujranwala10
Harnai10
Harnai/Naseerabad30
Kech20
Lahore10
Mehrabpur10
Muree20
Nushki10
Orakzai20
Sargodha20
Shangla10
Swabi30
Swat20
Grand Total140139

No suicide attack was reported during this quarter while encounters and ground operations carried out by security officials left a large number of outlaws dead. Gun violence, armed attacks, and lethal explosions caused the largest number of fatalities (table 05).

Table 5: Comparative fatality data on violence/counter violence – Q1 2020 vs.  Q2 2020
Method of ViolenceQ1 2020 Q2 2020 
Gun violence (including target killings)2631
Ground operation/clashes2940
IEDs, Landmines, Hand Grenade Attacks, Other Explosions3030
Encounter with Law Enforcement Agencies (including suspected)3522
Armed attacks411
Dead body found55
Others10
Suicide attacks100
 Total140139

Like previous quarter, the fatalities of militants, insurgents, and criminals went up during the second quarter as well reflecting effective measures taken by the security forces. A sharp rise in the number of security personnel’s fatalities pointed to a retaliatory strategy of the outlaws – a situation further corroborated by the significant decline in the number of civilian fatalities during this quarter (table 06).

Table 6: Fatalities by type of victims –  Q1 2020 vs. Q2 2020
Militants/Criminals/InsurgentsQ1 2020Q2 2020
Militants3941
Insurgents311
Criminals116
Total Militant/Criminal/Insurgent5358
Percentage of total fatalities37.9%41.7%
Government and Security OfficialsQ1 2020Q2 2020
Security officials2443
Government officials11
Total Government/Security Official2544
Percentage of total fatalities17.9%31.7%
CiviliansQ1 2020Q2 2020
Civilians5732
Politicians03
Media personnel21
Religious party/persons21
Foreigner10
Total Civilians6237
Percentage of total fatalities44.3%26.6%
Overall Total140139

Multiple insurgent groups from Balochistan and Sindh once again became active in the country and claimed responsibilities for several terror attacks that left 17 persons dead. Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed two attacks: one IED blast in Makran, Balochistan wherein an army major and five soldiers of the Frontier Corps lost their lives, and a daring attack at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on 30 June 2020 leaving a policeman, three guards, and four insurgents dead.

An eight-year-old boy was killed and his father was seriously injured when their motorcycle hit a landmine planted by militants in Dasht-i-Goran area of Kalat District in Balochistan. Baloch Liberation Tiger (BLT) claimed responsibility for this explosion.

Two rangers and a civilian lost their lives in a bomb explosion at a meat shop near Ghotki Railway station on 19 June 2020. The same day, a civilian was killed when a hand grenade hurled near a paramilitary rangers mobile in Liaquatabad. One rangers official was injured in Larkana when a cracker was hurled at a security checkpoint. These three attacks were claimed by Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA).

The militant group Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA), an off-shoot of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the killing of two policemen in the night of 26 May 2020 in the Chowrangi No. 26 area of Turnol in Islamabad (table 07).

 Table 7: Fatalities claimed by militant outfits – Q1 2020 vs. Q1 2020
ClaimantsQ1, 2020Q2, 2020
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)014
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – Hizbul Ahrar (HUA)22
Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA)02
Baloch Liberation Tigers (BLT)s01
Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS)30
TTP – HUA/Daish150
Total2019

Although no militant groups like TTP or Daish (Islamic State) claimed their responsibility for any violence during this quarter, there were eleven fatalities of militants that were reported to have affiliation with TTP (7) and Daish (4). The insurgent groups like BLA and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) also lost their activists in counter-violence operations carried out by the security forces. Among the security officials, the Pakistan army had the highest number of fatalities compared to other security forces. A large number of unidentified civilians were the victims of violence in addition to four missing persons who were found dead; two of them belonged to Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), one was of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – London, while one was unidentified (table 08).

Table 8: Affiliation of victims – Q2 2020
Affiliation of victims  Fatalities
Militants/Criminals/Insurgents
Militants – Unknown30
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)7
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)4
Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)4
Daish (Islamic State)4
Hazaro Kharoos Gang2
Government and Security Officials
Army25
Police8
Frontier Corps6
Rangers2
Post Office1
Civilians
Unknown/Missing33
Tribal people5
Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM)2
Shia community2
Daily Koshish Newspaper1
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUIF)1
Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM)1
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)1
Total139

Sectarian Violence

Two persons lost their lives in Kurrum Agency of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa because of an explosion near an Imambargah in Lower Kurram’s Shoorki on 6 May 2020. No other regions of the country encountered sectarian violence during this quarter. Both victims were Shia, making them the only group targeted this quarter (table 09).

Table 9: Fatalities from sectarian violence – Q2 2020
ProvinceFatalitiesInjuriesTotal
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) – including FATA212