The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan may have declined in 2016 but the year witnessed some major attacks in terms of casualties.
According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report at least 956 people were killed in 736 terror attacks in Pakistan in 2016, a significant decline in terror fatalities as compared to 2015.
Afghanistan and Syria displayed a similar trend, as four of the five countries most impacted by terrorism saw a 33 per cent decrease in terror fatalities.
The data was organized by America’s University of Maryland which is considered the most comprehensive of its kind.
The major improvement was made in Nigeria, where terrorism deaths attributed to Boko Haram fell by 80pc last year.
According to the GTI report In Europe and other developed countries, it was the deadliest year for terrorism since 1988, excluding the September 11 attacks in 2001.
According to latest study conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that incidents of terrorism were down by 30 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year.
The decline is attributed to the successful military operation in the tribal areas, once considered a stronghold of local and foreign militant groups.
Pakistan started implementing the new anti-terror strategy in the aftermath of massacre committed by Tehreek-e-Taliban terrorists at an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014.
The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan may have declined in 2016 but the year witnessed some major attacks in terms of casualties.
Authorities claim that the recent attacks were the sign of desperation on the part of militants who suffered serious setbacks as a result of the government’s intense anti-terror campaign in the last couple of years.
Although the total number of people killed in terror attacks worldwide fell for the second successive year, more countries were victims of terror in 2016.