Militants in Pakistan suffered their biggest losses in ten years during the month of October as security forces stepped up countermilitancy operations in multiple regions, according to data compiled by an Islamabad-based think tank.
This comes after militants were put on the defensive in September, with 69 attacks recorded and a decrease of 52 percent compared to the month of August, according to the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
In its latest monthly report released today, PICSS claimed that 355 militants were eliminated in October, while 72 security personnel and 31 civilians, including a member of the peace committee in Bannu, lost their lives.
Another 92 security personnel, 48 civilians and 22 militants were injured across the country, the PICSS militancy database showed.
While the think tank recorded a 29 percent increase in militant attacks, from 69 in September to 89 in October, overall human losses in these attacks decreased by 19 percent.
The report highlighted that militants kidnapped 55 people last month, the highest monthly number of kidnappings in a decade. Security forces also arrested 22 suspected militants.
The report details that 55 security personnel, 29 civilians and the peace committee member, along with 24 militants, were killed in the violence initiated by the militants.
These attacks also left 88 security personnel, 45 civilians and one militant injured.
PICSS noted that while Balochistan witnessed 23 militant attacks in October compared to 21 in September, casualties decreased drastically from 33 security personnel and 38 civilians to 16 security men and three civilians. The number of militants killed remained at eight in both months.
The number of injured security personnel fell from 37 in September to 15 in October, and that of civilians decreased from 85 to 20, while one militant was also injured.
However, 31 people, mostly workers, were kidnapped by militants during the month, the PICSS report added.
Detailing the casualties of anti-terror operations, PICSS said security forces killed 67 militants, the highest monthly number of militant deaths in Balochistan since 2002, when the current wave of militancy began.
PICSS described this as a notable improvement in the province’s security situation, noting a 92 per cent decrease in civilian deaths and a 52 per cent drop in security personnel deaths.
In the tribal belt (formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas), 22 militant attacks were recorded (the same as in September), but casualties increased significantly.
Thirty-one people, including 18 security personnel and 13 civilians, were killed, while 32 security personnel and 13 civilians were among the 45 injured. The militants also kidnapped 18 people from the region.
The PICSS noted a 200 percent increase in security personnel deaths, from six to 18, and an overall 48 percent increase in deaths, including those of militants.
Security operations in the tribal areas killed 209 militants, the highest number of militant deaths in a single month since November 2014.
Sixteen security personnel were also killed in these operations, including during the deadliest incident in Orakzai district, which sparked border tensions with Afghanistan.
The institute confirmed that security forces also eliminated former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) deputy emir and shadow defense minister Qari Amjad in Bajaur, the TTP’s most high-profile death since the group’s creation in 2007.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered 37 militant attacks in October compared to 25 in September, resulting in 48 deaths: 21 security personnel, 10 civilians, 16 militants and one peace committee member.
Forty-two people were injured, including 35 security personnel and seven civilians. Four people were kidnapped by militants. The security operations killed 55 militants, while one security personnel lost his life.
PICSS data shows that militant deaths in operations decreased from 88 in September to 55 in October.
In Sindh, three militant attacks killed three civilians and injured seven people, including four civilians and three security personnel.
The PICSS reported increased activity by the banned Zainabiyoun Brigade, with eight suspected militants, including key commanders, arrested.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express in Shikarpur district of Sindh with an improvised explosive device (IED), derailing four bogies and injuring seven passengers.
Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed three attacks, including two assassination attempts, apparently by the Zainabiyoun Brigade, while the TTP kidnapped two officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).
In Punjab, a low-intensity attack occurred when TTP militants blew up a gas pipeline in Mianwali district. Security forces also arrested an Al Qaeda operative from Okara district.
Altogether, the PICSS recorded 2,853 deaths in the first ten months of 2025, including 1,734 militants, 601 security personnel, 497 civilians and 21 pro-government fighters.
The institute concluded that while militant violence persists, the sharp rise in militant deaths underscores the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations.
In March, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, and the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rose 45 percent to 1,081 from a year earlier.
