Islamabad: Pakistan has been witnessing a steady rise in suicide attacks. Pakistan in the first seven months of 2023 experienced 18 suicide attacks, claiming the lives of 200 people and injuring more than 450 others, Pakistan-based Dawn reported citing a think tank report.

The number of suicide attacks has exceeded the total number of suicide attacks recorded during 2022, which stood at 15. Think tank the Pak­is­tan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) has revealed the findings in the report released on Monday.

Tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have been the most severely impacted region in Pakistan, Dawn reported citing the report. The attacks in tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for half of the total suicide attacks in 2023.

Around 60 people were killed and more than 150 others were injured in nine attacks in the area. However, so far this year, the recent attack that targeted Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention in Bajaur on July 30 has been the deadliest in the tribal belt, as per the Dawn report.

Four suicide attacks took place in 'Mainland' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which claimed the lives of more than 110 people and left 245 injured. Among these attacks, the Peshawar Police Line attack stood out as the deadliest in the country, claiming the lives of more than 100 people, according to the report.

At least four suicide attacks took place in Balochistan within the first seven months of 2023. As many as 14 people were killed and 27 others were injured in these attacks. Furthermore, one suicide attack took place in Sindh, resulting in the death of five people and injuring 18 others.

As many as 54 people were killed and 83 others were injured in the suicide bombing at a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Sunday, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of party workers and local leaders were present at the JUI-F convention when the explosion took place.

JUIF officials have said that party's Khar General Secretary Ziaullah, JUI-F District Press Secretary Mujahid Khan and his son were among those who were killed in the attack, according to Dawn. Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for the attack, Dawn reported.

Speaking to reporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter-Terrorism Department Additional Inspector General (IG) Shaukat Abbas said the death toll from the blast had risen to 54 while the number of injured people reached 83, according to Dawn. Shaukat Abbas further said that 46 of the deceased had been identified.

The CTD official said that the convention began at 2 pm (local time) and the blast took place at four past ten. Shaukat Abbas said that the suspects “have been almost tracked down in the initial action” taken so far. He added that a forensic report related to the incident was awaited.