Pakistan: 21 killed in Balochistan in 13 terrorist attacks this April, says report

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 6 (ANI): Balochistan has in the month of April this year witnessed as many as 13 armed attacks wherein 21 people lost the battle of their lives, as per a report.

Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) has compiled a brief report regarding the terrorist attacks in Pakistan during April 2023.
According to the report, among 21 people who died in armed attacks in Balochistan, 11 were security personnel while 9 were innocent civilians. Besides this, 23 people met with critical injuries. These injured people included 21 civilians and 2 security forces personnel.

“This figure reiterates that security forces, including Pakistan Army, and Police, are loyal to the Baloch land as they become the iron shield against the terrorists who try to sabotage Balochistan’s peace and stability,” the report further read.

“In doing so, they usually lose the thread of their lives, leaving their families in grief however, they don’t let the fear of death consume their minds. These Sher-Dil soldiers never forget their oath, which tells them to fight unjust and brutal forces, & lay down their lives if their beloved homeland is ever in danger,” it added.

Incidents of terrorism are on a rise in Pakistan. There has been a record increase in deaths due to terrorism in Pakistan in the first quarter of 2023, claimed a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan vernacular media Daily K2 reported.

During the period, almost 854 people have been killed or injured in terror activities and anti-terror actions in Pakistan. A total of 358 people have been killed, and 496 injured from January to March 2023. This number is half of the total deaths in the year 2022.

The maximum number of deaths, 68, were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, as per Daily K2.

Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)’s recent Global Terrorism Index (GTI) – 2023 highlighted Afghanistan and Pakistan among the ten countries most affected by terrorism in 2022, with deaths in Pakistan rising significantly to 643, a 120 per cent increase from 2021.

It referred to a significant increase as being predominantly driven by a rise in attacks by the ethno-nationalist organisation — the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

Deaths by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) doubled while Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK) increased sevenfold in Pakistan. The BLA was responsible for a third of these deaths in Pakistan.

BLA is Pakistan’s own creation. It is the result of politics in Pakistan of the ethnic minority which turned into fighting for its own survival against the alleged suppressive attitude of the authorities.