Military says over 75,000 operations carried out as attacks and casualties hit record levels
Pakistan’s top military spokesman, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, speaks at a press conference on Tuesday. SCREEN GRAB
Pakistan’s top military spokesman, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Tuesday that 2025 was a “landmark and consequential year” in the country’s fight against terrorism as security forces carried out an unprecedented number of counter-terrorism operations amid a surge in attacks.
Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said the purpose of the briefing was to provide a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken over the past year.
“This is the sole purpose of this press conference and I would request that we remain focused on counter-terrorism as terrorism is the biggest threat facing the state of Pakistan right now,” he said.
He said security forces conducted a comprehensive nationwide campaign in 2025, conducting an average of more than 206 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) daily. By the end of the year, the total number of IBOs reached 75,175.
Most of the operations were conducted in Balochistan where 58,778 IBOs took place. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed with 14,658 operations, while 1,739 were performed in the rest of the country.
Chaudhry said 5,397 terrorist incidents were reported nationwide during the year. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst affected, recording 3,811 incidents or 71% of the total. Balochistan experienced 1,557 incidents, accounting for 29%, while only 29 incidents were reported in other parts of Pakistan.
He said security forces killed 2,597 militants during the year, including 1,803 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 784 in Balochistan. A total of 27 suicide bombers were reported, including 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Balochistan.
This is what the military spokesman says Fitna-al-Hindustan – a term he used to refer to Baloch militant groups – had no connection with Balochistan. He added that the security forces were facing intense challenges with 1,235 soldiers martyred during operations.
Chaudhry said 2021 marked a turning point in the terror landscape following developments in Afghanistan. He referred to the Doha agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the United States and its international partners, which included commitments to form an inclusive government, prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorism and protect women’s rights.
However, he said these commitments were not met. An inclusive government was not formed, Afghan territory was used by several militant groups, and organizations such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) began operating from Afghanistan, posing a threat to Pakistan.
He added that due to the situation in Syria, about 2,500 militants have recently moved to Afghanistan and said they were neither Afghan nor Pakistani.
Presenting data from 2021 to 2025, Chaudhry said terror-related incidents showed a steady and then sharp increase. In 2021, there were 761 incidents in which 193 militants were killed and 592 security personnel were martyred.
In 2022, incidents increased to 1,020. Security forces killed 443 militants while 644 people were martyred, he said.
The situation worsened in 2023, when incidents rose to 1,811. During the year, 691 militants were killed and 980 people lost their lives.
In 2024, incidents increased further to 3,014. The number of militants killed rose to 1,053 while 989 security personnel were martyred, he said.
“The increase peaked in 2025,” Chaudhry said. “Incidents jumped to 5,397, 2,597 militants were killed and the number of martyred personnel reached its highest level at 1,235.”
The India connection
DG ISPR said the other major factor driving terrorism was the war economy. Referring to recent reports, he said that about $147 billion was spent on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, adding that questions were now being raised about where the money was going.
He said that when this flow of money stops, groups that sustain themselves through a war economy try to keep it alive by spreading conflict and terrorism across the region.
Referring to what he called new investment patterns linked to terrorism, the military spokesman said the most significant pattern affecting Pakistan pointed towards India. He said the operational base of such groups was in Afghanistan while funding and support came from India.
He also said US military equipment worth $7.2 billion, including advanced weapons, was left behind in Afghanistan.
Chaudhry added that political and internal easing also took place during the same period and said that Pakistan took a firm stand against these elements in 2023.
The Directorate General of ISPR further said that a false narrative is being promoted to suggest that the fight against terrorism is the military’s war alone. He emphasized that this is not just the war of the army but a war of the people and a fight for every child in the nation.
He warned that if the nation does not stand united against terrorism, its consequences will reach homes, schools, markets and offices, with attacks carried out in the everyday spaces of public life.
Major attacks in 2025
A number of major terrorist attacks were reported across the country in 2025, targeting military installations, law enforcement personnel, civilians and children.
On March 4, Bannu Cantonment in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was attacked, targeting the military. The incident left 18 people martyred, including five members of law enforcement agencies and 13 civilians. Security forces killed 16 militants.
A week later, on March 11, the Jaffar Express was attacked in Bolan, targeting civilians. The attack killed 25 people – four policemen and 21 civilians – while 33 militants were killed, making it one of the deadliest attacks of the year.
On March 16, a civilian bus carrying Frontier Corps personnel was attacked in Nushki, killing five people, including three policemen and two civilians. Security forces killed three militants.
The violence later spread to children. On 21 May, a school bus was attacked in Khuzdar, killing five civilians. One militant was killed in the incident.
After a short break, the attacks resumed in September. On 2 September, the Frontier Corps North headquarters in Bannu was attacked, leaving six policemen martyred. Five militants were killed. Later that month, on September 30, an attack on the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta killed 11 people, including three policemen and eight civilians, while six militants were killed.
In October, militants targeted police training facilities. On October 10, a police academy in Dera Ismail Khan was attacked, killing seven people – six law enforcement personnel and one civilian. Five militants were killed.
November offered further attacks. On November 10, a cadet college in Wana was attacked, killing five people, including three policemen and two civilians. Five militants were killed. The following day, on 11 November, an attack on the judicial complex in Islamabad killed 11 civilians, while one militant was killed.
The last incident on the list occurred on November 24 in Peshawar, when another attack on the Frontier Corps North headquarters killed three policemen. Three militants were killed during the operation.
– This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly
