Combat-related deaths in Pakistan rose 43% month-on-month to 361 in January, data released on Monday by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.
The fatalities included 242 militants, 73 civilians, and 46 security personnel, according to the Islamabad-based think tank.
At least 135 people were injured, among them 71 were civilians, 52 security personnel, and 12 militants.
PICSS reported 87 militant attacks across Pakistan in January, a 28% rise from the 68 incidents recorded in December 2025. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bore the brunt, with 58 incidents—38 in the mainland districts and 20 in the tribal areas. The restive Balochistan followed with 27 attacks, while Punjab reported two targeted incidents.
Balochistan emerged as the main theatre of militant violence and security operations, recording its highest monthly militant death toll since the current insurgency began in 2001. While the province remained relatively calm for most of January, violence surged dramatically in the final two days. Coordinated attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) across at least 12 locations, followed by intensified security operations, placed the province at the centre of the conflict. At least 172 militants were killed, the majority in the final two days of last month.
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Security forces arrested at least 60 suspected militants during the previous month, while militant groups kidnapped eight individuals. In Punjab, 53 militants were arrested, 48 of them from Lahore, the state capital and Pakistan's second-largest city.
Meanwhile, no militant attacks were reported in January from Sindh, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Islamabad, or the Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to the data.
(With PTI inputs)
