Pakistan is facing a deadly escalation in militant violence — 757 people were killed and nearly as many injured in the first eight months of 2024, according to the data provided by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

Analysts say 254 people were killed in August alone. This includes 92 civilians and 52 security officials, making it the deadliest month in six years.

Militants are especially active in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an alliance of extremist groups, of conducting operations inside Pakistan. The Taliban regime in Kabul has denied these claims.

Another insurgent group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), has surfaced as a major threat among armed militias in Balochistan. The BLA seeks independence for the resource-rich province. It also opposes China-led projects in the region, including a port and a gold and copper mine.

Pakistan has grown less safe every year since the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan in August 2021. But last month saw a nearly three-fold jump in violent incidents in Balochistan, where the........

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