Military says over 75,000 operations conducted as attacks and casualties hit record levels
Pakistan’s chief military spokesperson, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, is addressing a press conference on Tuesday. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan’s chief military spokesperson, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Tuesday that 2025 was a “landmark and consequential year” in the country’s fight against terrorism, as security forces carried out an unprecedented number of counter-terrorism operations amid a surge in attacks.
Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said the purpose of the briefing was to provide a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken over the past year.
“This is the only purpose of this press conference, and I would request that we remain focused on counter-terrorism, as terrorism is the biggest threat being faced by the state of Pakistan right now,” he said.
He said security forces conducted an extensive nationwide campaign in 2025, carrying out an average of more than 206 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) daily. By the end of the year, the total number of IBOs reached 75,175.
Most of the operations were conducted in Balochistan, where 58,778 IBOs took place. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed with 14,658 operations, while 1,739 were carried out in the rest of the country.
Chaudhry said 5,397 terrorist incidents were reported nationwide during the year. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst affected, recording 3,811 incidents, or 71% of the total. Balochistan saw 1,557 incidents, accounting for 29%, while only 29 incidents were reported in other parts of Pakistan.
He said security forces killed 2,597 militants during the year, including 1,803 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 784 in Balochistan. A total of 27 suicide bombers were reported, with 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Balochistan.
The military spokesperson said Fitna-al-Hindustan – a term he used to refer to Baloch militant groups – had no connection with Balochistan. He added that security forces faced intense challenges, with 1,235 soldiers martyred during operations.
Chaudhry said 2021 marked a turning point in the terrorism landscape following developments in Afghanistan. He referred to the Doha agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the United States and its international partners, which included commitments to form an inclusive government, prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorism, and protect women’s rights.
However, he said those commitments were not fulfilled. An inclusive government was not formed, Afghan territory was used by multiple militant groups, and organisations such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) began operating from Afghanistan, posing a threat to Pakistan.
He added that due to the situation in Syria, around 2,500 militants have recently moved to Afghanistan, saying they were neither Afghan nor Pakistani.
Presenting data from 2021 to 2025, Chaudhry said terrorism-related incidents showed a steady and then sharp rise. In 2021, there were 761 incidents, with 193 militants killed and 592 security personnel martyred.
In 2022, incidents increased to 1,020. Security forces killed 443 militants, while 644 personnel were martyred, he said.
The situation worsened in 2023, when incidents rose to 1,811. During the year, 691 militants were killed and 980 personnel lost their lives.
In 2024, incidents climbed further to 3,014. The number of militants killed increased to 1,053, while 989 security personnel were martyred, he said.
“The surge peaked in 2025,” Chaudhry said. “Incidents jumped to 5,397, 2,597 militants were killed, and the number of martyred personnel reached its highest level at 1,235.”
The India connection
The DG ISPR said the second major factor driving terrorism was the war economy. Citing recent reports, he said around $147 billion was spent on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, adding that questions were now being raised about where the money went.
He said when this flow of money stops, groups that sustain themselves through a war economy try to keep it alive by spreading conflict and terrorism across the region.
Referring to what he called new investment patterns linked to terrorism, the military spokesperson said the most significant pattern affecting Pakistan pointed towards India. He said the operational base of such groups was in Afghanistan, while funding and support came from India.
He also said that $7.2 billion worth of US military equipment, including advanced weapons, was left behind in Afghanistan.
Chaudhry added that political and internal facilitation also took place during the same period, and said Pakistan took a firm stand against these elements in 2023.
– This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly
