According to a report released on Thursday by the UK-based non-governmental organisation Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Pakistan ranked seventh among the countries where civilians were most affected by explosive weapons in 2024.
The report states that during 248 incidents in Pakistan in 2024, 790 civilians were affected, including 210 civilian deaths. These figures show a 9% decrease in civilian deaths compared to 2023, however, there was an 11% increase in the number of incidents, which were 218 in 2023.
The report titled “Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)” ranked Pakistan 7th among the 15 most affected countries and regions by explosive weapons in 2024.
According to the report, the majority of the harm caused to civilians was attributed to non-state actors, who were held responsible for 76% of the civilian casualties.
Specifically, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) killed or injured 119 individuals in Pakistan in 2024, which was prominently mentioned in the report.
The Baloch Liberation Army remained one of the largest non-state groups using explosive weapons in 2024 and was held responsible for 15% of the overall harm to individuals, showing a 440% increase compared to 22 incidents recorded in 2023.
According to the report, unidentified non-state actors caused 54% (423) of the civilian deaths or injuries, a figure lower than the 541 civilians affected in 2023.
All suicide attacks in Pakistan were carried out by non-state actors, with the Baloch Liberation Army prominently involved. It was responsible for only 2% of the nine suicide attacks in 2024 but accounted for 89% (92) of the casualties in those incidents.
Unidentified non-state actors were responsible for 6% (5) of suicide attack incidents, resulting in 11% of the civilian harm.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded the highest number of “terrorist” incidents since 2014. In terms of civilian harm, the year was the second worst since 2018, while in terms of militant fatalities, it saw the second-highest figure since 2015.