WNAM REPORT: Pakistan recorded a second consecutive month of improving security indicators in April 2026, with militant attacks and related casualties declining markedly, according to new data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) documented 85 verified militant attacks in April, down from 146 in March—a 42 percent decrease. Fatalities resulting from militant attacks also fell from 106 in March to 60 in April, continuing a downward trend that began the previous month, when overall combat-related deaths had already dropped by 35 percent.
The improvement follows Pakistan’s cross-border military campaign targeting anti-Pakistan militant groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18, which concluded with a ceasefire and subsequent talks in Urumqi, China.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, total combat-related deaths—including those from militant attacks and security forces operations—stood at 291 in April. Militants accounted for 224 of these deaths, representing 77 percent of the total. The remaining casualties included 28 security forces personnel, 37 civilians, and two members of pro-government peace committees.
Losses among security forces personnel declined significantly, falling from 59 in March to 28 in April, a 53 percent reduction. Civilian fatalities remained relatively stable, with 37 deaths recorded in April compared to 39 in March.
Injuries also showed a notable decline. Overall injuries dropped from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38 percent decrease. Civilian injuries fell from 98 to 54, while militant injuries declined from 57 to 31. Injuries among security forces personnel decreased slightly from 48 to 46, and no injuries were reported among pro-government peace committee members in April.
The 85 militant attacks recorded during the month were largely low-intensity incidents, with a few exceptions. These included two suicide attacks in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a high-profile assault on a mining facility operated by National Resources Limited in Chagai district of Balochistan.
Despite the drop in attacks, security forces operations remained robust. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported that 224 militants were killed in April, compared to 228 in March. In total, security forces have killed 988 militants during the first four months of 2026.
Regionally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued to record the highest number of militant attacks, followed by Balochistan. In mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attacks declined slightly from 51 in March to 45 in April, while fatalities remained unchanged at 34.
The most significant improvement was observed in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (former FATA), where militant attacks dropped by 40 percent, from 35 in March to 21 in April. Deaths from these attacks fell sharply to six, an 82 percent decline, according to PICSS. At the same time, security forces intensified operations in the region, killing 120 militants—up from 24 in March—accounting for more than half of all militant fatalities nationwide in April.
Balochistan also experienced a notable improvement. Militant attacks fell from 59 in March to 18 in April, a 69 percent reduction. These attacks resulted in 17 deaths, including 10 linked to the high-profile attack on the National Resources Limited mining facility in Chagai. Security forces killed 66 militants in the province during April, although this figure was lower than the 145 militants killed there in March.
Elsewhere, an isolated attack in Chilas district of Gilgit-Baltistan resulted in the deaths of three police personnel. No militant attacks were reported in Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, or Islamabad during the month. However, intelligence-based operations conducted by security forces in these regions led to the arrest of eight suspects—five in Sindh, two in Punjab, and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Cumulatively, during the first four months of 2026, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies recorded 401 militant attacks across Pakistan. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 190 civilians, 158 security forces personnel, and seven members of pro-government peace committees. Injuries during the same period included 469 civilians, 167 security personnel, and seven peace committee members. Meanwhile, security forces killed 988 militants and arrested 121 suspects nationwide, according to PICSS data.
