Karachi: In the past five years in Pakistan more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians have died — including children — due to internal strife in the northern areas of the country, according to government figures released on Tuesday.
The report of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan also stated that the number of deaths had risen to 49,000 since the militant attacks on US soil on September 11, 2001. The number of injured soldiers and civilians has also gone up during the five-year period.
Raja Irshad, agencies lawyer, who presented the report, said terrorist activities had risen in various parts of Pakistan.
The report said at the inception of the military operation against the insurgents in 2008, militants had captured more than 35 per cent of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), leaving little areas where the government writ could exist.
The report said between 2008 and 2013, more than 235 suicide attacks were carried out by terrorists across the country — but mainly in the north.
The militants carried some 2,257 rocket and 4,256 bombs attacks in different parts of the country.
During the five years, 5,152 civilians lost their lives whereas almost the same number of people were injured.
In the line of duty, 1,500 soldiers lost their lives whereas 5,745 were injured. In addition to the army 675 Frontier Constabulary soldiers were killed and around 2,000 sustained injuries.
In 6,000 operations and 612 crackdowns against terrorists in the restive parts of the country in the past five years, 3,000 terrorists were killed and 1,228 were injured.
