At least 79 people were killed and 202 others got injured in 19 bomb blasts including one suicide attack that took place across Pakistan during the month of August, according to official statistics.
The official data revealed that the suicide blast that targeted police in southwest of Pakistan killed 39 and injured 40 others.
August was the only month this year, in which less than one hundred killings took place in the bomb attacks by the militants.
Since the Pakistan's incumbent government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hinted to hold peace talks with militants, especially Pakistani Taliban, a drop was seen in the number of lethal attacks in the country.
Out of 19 attacks, only three were of serious nature that targeted security forces, police and civilians.
The worst one of them was witnessed on Aug. 8, when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque located in the Police Lines in the southwestern provincial capital of Quetta where hundreds of policemen and civilians were gathering to attend the funeral of their colleague who was shot dead by militants. At least 39 people including 16 policemen and five police officers were killed and 40 others injured in the attack that was later claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
One day before the Quetta blast, a remote controlled bomb explosion targeted the spectators who were leaving a football stadium after watching a match in the southern port city of Karachi, killing 11 and leaving 26 others injured.
During the period, 16 occasions civilians were the direct target of the militants' bomb attacks in 16 occasions that killed 40 people and injured 154 others.
Security personnel and policemen came under attack three times directly in which 25 personnel lost their lives while 48 others sustained injuries.
Militant conducted two direct attacks at security forces during the month and killed four personnel besides leaving eight others injured.
On Aug. 22, at least four security personnel were killed when a roadside bomb blast targeted an army convoy when security personnel were returning to their unit after conducting peaceful by-elections in Karachi.
Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that was always the soft target of the militants remained unhurt as there was no causality reported in any blast.
South Western province of Balochistan was the worst hit province with nine attacks followed by five blasts in northwestern tribal regions and four in southern province of Sindh.
The country's most populated eastern province of Punjab, that contains 60 percent of total population, was hit once when a bomb ripped through a train cabin in the Toba Tek Singh district of the province.
Majority of the bomb blasts were carried out with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) by planting it on roadsides or fixing it in vehicles.
Most of the attacks remained unclaimed.
Experts believed that less number of bomb attacks would be seen in September as the government has postponed the execution of Taliban prisoners and has been working to start dialogue with militants. In August, Pakistani government ordered a temporary stay of executions of prisoners days before they were due to be hanged and the decision was welcomed by Taliban.
The official data revealed that the suicide blast that targeted police in southwest of Pakistan killed 39 and injured 40 others.
August was the only month this year, in which less than one hundred killings took place in the bomb attacks by the militants.
Since the Pakistan's incumbent government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hinted to hold peace talks with militants, especially Pakistani Taliban, a drop was seen in the number of lethal attacks in the country.
Out of 19 attacks, only three were of serious nature that targeted security forces, police and civilians.
The worst one of them was witnessed on Aug. 8, when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque located in the Police Lines in the southwestern provincial capital of Quetta where hundreds of policemen and civilians were gathering to attend the funeral of their colleague who was shot dead by militants. At least 39 people including 16 policemen and five police officers were killed and 40 others injured in the attack that was later claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
One day before the Quetta blast, a remote controlled bomb explosion targeted the spectators who were leaving a football stadium after watching a match in the southern port city of Karachi, killing 11 and leaving 26 others injured.
During the period, 16 occasions civilians were the direct target of the militants' bomb attacks in 16 occasions that killed 40 people and injured 154 others.
Security personnel and policemen came under attack three times directly in which 25 personnel lost their lives while 48 others sustained injuries.
Militant conducted two direct attacks at security forces during the month and killed four personnel besides leaving eight others injured.
On Aug. 22, at least four security personnel were killed when a roadside bomb blast targeted an army convoy when security personnel were returning to their unit after conducting peaceful by-elections in Karachi.
Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that was always the soft target of the militants remained unhurt as there was no causality reported in any blast.
South Western province of Balochistan was the worst hit province with nine attacks followed by five blasts in northwestern tribal regions and four in southern province of Sindh.
The country's most populated eastern province of Punjab, that contains 60 percent of total population, was hit once when a bomb ripped through a train cabin in the Toba Tek Singh district of the province.
Majority of the bomb blasts were carried out with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) by planting it on roadsides or fixing it in vehicles.
Most of the attacks remained unclaimed.
Experts believed that less number of bomb attacks would be seen in September as the government has postponed the execution of Taliban prisoners and has been working to start dialogue with militants. In August, Pakistani government ordered a temporary stay of executions of prisoners days before they were due to be hanged and the decision was welcomed by Taliban.
by Jamil Bhatti
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