Battle on multiple fronts: Pakistan faces its ‘deadliest years’ in a decade - why it’s losing against the ‘Quad of Terror’

Pakistan is battling its bloodiest year in a decade. According to Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), more than 2,400 security personnel have been killed in just the first three quarters of 2025 putting the country on track for its deadliest year since 2015. The report recorded 901 fatalities and 599 injuries in the third quarter alone, marking a 46% surge in overall violence compared to the previous period. If this trend continues, 2025 could surpass 2024’s total of 2,546 deaths. Between January and September 2025, Pakistan saw a 58% rise in fatalities from the same period last year. The nature of violence has also shifted while 2024 saw more deaths from terror attacks, this year over half the fatalities (1,265) were from state-led counterterror