Pakistan sees decline in militant violence for 2nd straight month: PICSS

Pakistan recorded a second consecutive month of improving security indicators in April 2026, with militant attacks and related casualties declining markedly, according to a report released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The Islamabad-based think tank documented 85 verified militant attacks in April, down from 146 in March, a 42 per cent decrease. As per the data, fatalities resulting from militant attacks fell from 106 in March to 60 in April, continuing a downward trend that began the previous month, when overall combat-related deaths dropped by 35pc. The report said that the improvement follows Pakistan’s cross-border military campaign targeting militant groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18, which concluded with a suspension and subsequent talks in Urumqi, China. Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. According to the PICSS report, 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 77pc of the total. The remaining casualties included 28 security forces personnel, 37 civilians, and two members of pro-government peace committees. It said that the losses among security forces personnel also declined significantly, falling from 59 in March to 28 in April, which was a 53pc reduction. It said that civilian fatalities remained relatively stable, with 37 deaths recorded in April compared to 39 in March. The data also showed a notable decline in injuries. Overall injuries dropped from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38pc 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. T