Pakistan among worst-affected nations by explosive weapons in 2024, says report

Pakistan ranked seventh globally for civilian casualties caused by explosive weapons in 2024 and was the second most affected country in terms of harm from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to a new report by the UK-based monitoring group, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

In its annual report, AOAV documented a total of 67,026 deaths and injuries worldwide from explosive weapons—the highest figure recorded since 2010. Of those, 59,524 were civilian casualties, with a staggering 89% of them either killed or injured. The report noted that 41% of civilian victims (24,147 people) lost their lives in these attacks.

Pakistan experienced 790 civilian casualties—including 210 fatalities—across 248 incidents involving explosive weapons in 2024. While this represented a 9% drop in overall casualties from 2023, the number of incidents rose by 11%, up from 218 the previous year.

The majority of civilian harm in Pakistan was attributed to non-state actors, responsible for 76% (603) of civilian casualties. Among these, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was behind 119 civilian casualties—a sharp 440% increase from the 22 reported in 2023.

Other groups cited in the report include the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP), which caused 45 civilian casualties in 2024, a significant drop from 194 the previous year. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for 10 casualties, down from 32 in 2023. Unidentified non-state actors were blamed for 423 civilian casualties, accounting for 54% of the total in Pakistan.

Pakistan continues to confront two parallel insurgencies: a religiously motivated campaign led by groups like the TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and a separatist insurgency in Balochistan driven by ethno-nationalist groups such as the BLA.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused neighboring Afghanistan and India of providing support to militant organizations including the TTP and BLA. Both Kabul and New Delhi have denied these allegations.

In terms of IED-related violence, Pakistan was the second most affected country after Lebanon. The AOAV recorded 485 civilian casualties—including 139 deaths—across 132 IED-related incidents in 2024. While this marked a 30% decline in civilian casualties compared to 2023, the number of incidents increased by 8%.

Lebanon topped the list with 3,373 civilian casualties in just 16 IED incidents, accounting for 58% of global IED-related civilian harm. Other countries heavily impacted by IEDs included Nigeria (385 casualties), Iran (378), Somalia (270), Syria (253), Afghanistan (170), and Myanmar (84).