Pakistan reports 3,145 terror incidents in 2026, 819 people killed

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jul 31, 2026 20:42 IST

Pakistan has recorded more than 3,000 terrorism-related incidents so far this year, in which 819 people, including security personnel, were killed, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday. He also said 2,084 terrorists were killed during the period.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry also spoke about the security situation in Balochistan, the military's earlier remarks on making Pakistan a "hard state", the need for governance reforms, and Pakistan's concerns about Afghanistan.

"As many as 3,145 terrorism incidents occurred in Pakistan in 2026 -- 1,971 were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 from Balochistan and 26 from other parts of the country," he said. During the period under review, he said, an average of 10 terrorists were killed every day, "which is the highest ratio ever".

Chaudhry said 819 Pakistanis were killed in the attacks, including 303 army personnel and 194 law enforcers from the police and civil armed forces. He added that 40,348 intelligence-based operations had been carried out this year, with 31,000 of them taking place in Balochistan.

He said 28 suicide bombing incidents took place this year, "mostly by Afghan nationals and the people associated with their security forces". On claims that the situation in Balochistan had worsened, he said, "deliberate attempts are being made to create a perception that the situation in Balochistan is deteriorating."

"The fundamental issue in the province was elitism and tribal Sardari system with desire to maintain the status quo. The elites and sardars are a part of it. This status quo has persisted since 1947 under which a poor man's child could not get education and progress," he said.

On the issue of the military's earlier position that it wanted to make the country a "hard state", Chaudhry said, "Are we a hard state? Unfortunately, not... a hard state is one where the constitution and law are the same for everyone. That is what a hard state is. It does not mean a military-run state, it does not mean an armed forces-dominated state." He added, "They commit terrorism, they talk about terrorism and say that Balochistan is getting out of hand. Then they expect that we talk to them, appease them. No, we will not. We will talk with the actual stakeholders, who are the people of Balochistan."

Referring to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's remarks on the need for new administrative units in Pakistan, Chaudhry said, "We have been saying this earlier also as a primary stakeholder in security that good governance is essential for the security and stability of Pakistan." He also criticised the Afghan Taliban regime, saying, "the business of the regime in Kabul is terrorism, and through terrorism they sustain their economy, state and even diplomacy." He further alleged, "Even the Afghan regime's diplomacy is centred on terrorism. What is common between India and Afghanistan, except their DNA? The only thing common is terrorism," without offering evidence to support the claim.

The briefing combined updated figures on attacks, casualties and anti-terror operations with the military's position on Balochistan, governance and administrative reforms, and sharp criticism of the regime in Kabul.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends