The year 2025 was found to be “deadliest” for terrorists in Pakistan, with 2,115 terrorist fatalities, while 664 security personnel and 580 civilians were slain, according to a report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
PICSS said that Pakistan saw a “marked escalation” in 2025, with violence intensifying in both “tempo and lethality”, pushing several security indicators to their highest levels in years.
As per the report, the year 2025 has not only delivered a steep rise in overall combat-related deaths, but also became the deadliest year for terrorists since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties in a decade.
“Militant attacks climbed to their highest annual total since 2014, and the use of suicide bombings and small drones showed a clear upward trend,” said the report.
According to statistics released by PICSS, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 per cent to 3,387, compared to 1,950 in 2024. Fatalities included 2,115 terrorists, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants).
The report added that terrorists accounted for about 62pc of total combat-related deaths, and their 2,115 fatalities represented the highest annual terrorist death toll since 2015, when 2,322 militants were killed. Compared to 2024, terrorist deaths increased by 122pc, as 951 militants were killed in 2024.
PICSS also recorded 664 fatalities among security personnel in 2025, a 26pc rise from 528 in 2024 and the highest annual figure since 2011, when 677 personnel lost their lives.
Civilian deaths also increased by 24pc to 580 in 2025, compared to 468 in 2024, marking the highest annual civilian toll since 2015, when 642 civilians were killed.
Injuries also rose sharply, with the think tank recording that 2,263 were injured in 2025, including 1,025 security forces personnel, 982 civilians, 228 terrorists and 28 members of pro-government peace committees.
“This represents a 53pc increase over 2024 and was the highest annual number of injuries since 2014, when 3,829 people were injured,” said PICSS.
Compared with 2024, PICSS said that injuries among security forces increased by 62pc (1,025 compared to 631), civilian injuries rose by 40pc (982 compared to 701), and terrorist injuries increased by 61pc (228 compared to 142).
The Islamabad-based think tank also reported an 83pc rise in arrests of suspected terrorists, with 497 suspects held in 2025 compared to 272 in 2024. According to the report, the 2025 figure was the highest annual total since 2017, when 1,781 terrorists were either arrested or laid down their weapons.
The report further indicated that kidnappings rose even more sharply in 2025, with terrorists abducting 215 people compared to 82 in 2024; an increase of 162pc. PICSS said the 2025 kidnapping figure was the highest in a single year since 2012, based on its militancy database.
