The box office success of “Dhurandhar” and its sequel, Aditya Dhar’s two-part magnum opus about an Indian spy’s exploits in Pakistani ganglands, has put the spotlight on terrorism in the country. The Global Terrorism Index 2026 report has ranked Pakistan as the most terrorism-affected country in the world for the first time, surpassing Burkina Faso.
The surge coincides with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021, alongside increased attacks by groups such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). As a result, terrorism-related deaths in 2025 in Pakistan reached their highest level since 2013. Just last year alone, 1,139 people were killed across 1,045 incidents.
In South Asia, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated into open conflict in February, when the former launched airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar. The conflict risks triggering displacement, weakening border control, and creating fertile ground for groups like the TTP and Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) to expand.
TOP TERROR GROUPS DRIVING GLOBAL DEATHS
The four deadliest terrorist groups globally in 2025 were Islamic State (IS), the Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, also known as Al-Shabaab. Among them, the TTP was the only group to record an increase in deaths over the past year.
Pakistan alone recorded a 5.7 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths and accounted for 20 per cent of global fatalities, placing it among the five countries responsible for 70 per cent of all terrorism deaths worldwide.
HOSTAGE CRISIS
While overall terrorism-related incidents, deaths, and injuries declined globally in 2025, hostage-taking was the only indicator to worsen. This spike was largely driven by the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Pakistan, where 442 people were taken hostage. Without this incident, global hostage numbers would have fallen by 30 per cent compared to 2024.
DEADLIEST GROUP IN PAKISTAN
The TTP remains one of the most dangerous militant groups globally and the primary driver of terrorism within Pakistan. It was responsible for 56 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan, carrying out 595 attacks and killing 637 people.
Since 2007, the TTP has been behind over 67 per cent of all attacks in the country and has conducted five times more attacks than the next largest group, the BLA. Its activity has intensified significantly since 2021.
WORST ATTACKS IN 2025
The deadliest attack in Pakistan in 2025 occurred on October 26, when gunmen targeted a military camp in Tirah Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 21 soldiers. The TTP claimed responsibility for it.
The provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the worst affected, accounting for the highest number of attacks and fatalities. In 2025, attacks rose to 595, up from 481 in 2024.
In another major incident, the BLA carried out an attack near Quetta by bombing railway tracks and halting a passenger train. The group took 442 passengers hostage; the incident resulted in the deaths of 21 hostages — four soldiers, and 33 terrorists.
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