606 died in Pakistan's 41 suicide attacks in 2011

A total of 51 suicide bombers were used in 41 suicide attacks in Pakistan in 2011, killing 606 and injuring over a thousand. However, a sharp decline in violence had been noted as Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani announced to hold peace talks with militants in early October, a research center has said. According to Pakistan’s Conflict Monitoring Center (CMC) report, said that among the dead, 59 percent (358 out of 606) and 85 percent (856 out of 1002) of the injured were innocent citizens. Army lost 33 of its soldiers while 100 personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) (a paramilitary force) and 54 policemen lost their lives in these suicide attacks. fifty one suicide bombers were used to carry out 41 suicide attacks because in some strikes more than one human bomb was used, the Islamabad-based center said. Among the injured were 44 Army Soldiers, 31 FC personnel and 71 policemen. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunekha Province (KPK)saw highest number of suicide attacks and subsequent deaths, CMC’s report said. Giving the area wise causalities in the suicide attacks, the report added that 406 people were killed in 22 suicide attacks in KPK Province. Tribal regions known as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) was second most affected region after KPK where militants carried out 9 suicide attacks killing 76 people. It said that in southern Sindh province 18 people were killed in 5 suicide attacks. In southwestern Baluchistan 44 people were killed in 3 suicide attacks while eastern Punjab province observed two such attacks in which 61 people were killed. The report also analyzed that certain months of the year 2011 were more bloody and highest number of suicide attacks in a single month was observed in March when militants carried out 6 suicide attacks killing 92 people. The report said, “Deadliest single month of the year was May when 144 people died in 4 suicide attacks. Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed in May and it is believed that several revenge attacks were carried out after his death in a US military raid. The report however said that in 2011 the number of deaths in suicide attacks declined by 48 percent. Comparing situation of such attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the report calculated that the number of suicide attacks in Afghanistan was 2.5 times higher than Pakistan in 2011. Militants carried out 102 suicide attacks in Afghanistan in which 675 people were killed. CMC's analysis shows a downward trend in number of suicide attacks during previous two years. After successful military operations in Swat and South Waziristan, militants' capabilities to carryout high profile attacks against army installations have significantly reduced, it says.