ISLAMABAD: Violence in Pakistan has surged over the past three months due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations, an Islamabad-based think tank said Monday.

The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) reported a 46 percent rise in fatalities, including civilians, security personnel and militants, compared to the previous quarter.

This year is on track to be deadlier than 2024 — already the most violent year in a decade.

Pakistan’s military is fighting militant groups along the length of its western border, with the Pakistani Taliban active in the northwest and Baloch separatist groups in the southwest behind the vast majority of attacks.

The surge reflects an “intensification of militant violence and the expanded scale of counter-terrorism operations,” CRSS said.

Attacks have increased since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Pakistan’s government accusing the Taliban authorities of sheltering militants — a charge they deny.

However, the United Nations has warned of a “permissive environment” for militant groups in Afghanistan.

Government officials told AFP in September on condition of anonymity that the presence of Pakistani Taliban militants had increased in recent months.

That same month, opposition lawmakers accused the Pakistani military of carrying out an air raid on militant hideouts that killed children. The army did not comment.

Local village councils have repeatedly warned that sweeping counter-terrorism operations would risk harming civilians.

There were 2,414 deaths in the first three quarters of 2025, nearing the 2,546 fatalities reported in 2024, according to the think tank.