ISLAMABAD: Combat-related deaths in Pakistan this year increased by 73%, with both security forces and militants suffering casualties in large numbers, a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank said on Sunday.

As per statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose 73% to 3,387, compared with 1,950 in 2024. These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants), the think tank said in a press release. 

“Militants accounted for about 62% of total combat-related deaths, and their 2,115 fatalities represented the highest annual militant death toll since 2015, when 2,322 militants were killed,” PICSS said. 

Compared to last year, militant deaths recorded a steep increase by 122% as the PICSS reported that 951 militants had been killed in 2024.

The think tank, however, said this year was also particularly bloody for Pakistani security forces. PICSS recorded 664 security personnel deaths in 2025, a 26% rise from 528 in 2024, and the highest annual figure since 2011, when 677 security forces personnel lost their lives. 

Civilian deaths also increased by 24% to 580 in 2025, compared with 468 in 2024, marking the highest annual civilian toll since 2015, when 642 civilians were killed. 

As per the PICSS report, at least 1,063 militant attacks took place in 2025, a 17% increase compared with 908 in 2024 and the highest annual total since 2014, when 1,609 militant attacks were recorded. 

The report also noted a 53 percent increase in suicide attacks this year, with 26 such incidents reported in 2025 compared with 17 in 2024. 

“PICSS noted an expanding trend in the use of small drones, including quadcopters, with 33 such incidents recorded during 2025, alongside increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles by security forces,” the report said. 

The report noted an 83% rise in arrests of suspected militants, with 497 arrested in 2025 compared to 272 in 2024. 

This 2025 figure is the highest annual total of suspected militants arrested since 2017, when 1,781 militants were either arrested or laid down their weapons.

“PICSS noted that most violence remained concentrated in Pashtun-majority districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the tribal districts (erstwhile FATA), and in Balochistan,” it said. 

Pakistan has been grappling with a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, this year. 

Islamabad blames Afghanistan for providing sanctuaries to militants it alleges use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the charges.