For decades now, Pakistan is known to have provided safe havens, training grounds, and ideological support to some of the world’s most dangerous terror groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
This time, Pakistan has broken its own record for the highest number of bombing incidents globally in 2024, cementing its position as the topmost nation in IED (improvised explosive device) and explosive ordnance attacks.
“Pakistan has extracted a fair amount of money from America by claiming it a victim of terrorism. Now these terror groups have become an industry. Because once this terror industry takes off, then the terrorists, they need money. They are targeting Pakistan to generate Money for that they are now biting Pakistan with connivance of Army and government. But the fact is that Once you grow terrorism, then the same terrorists will bite you as well. If you feed milk to a snake, it will still bite you," said Major General SB Asthana (Retd).
According to data collected by the NSG, Pakistan reported 291 bombing attacks, which surpassed its record of 160 incidents in 2023. The figures provided in Bombshell annual report, accessed by News18, includes 187 incidents of IED attacks and 104 explosive ordnance attacks – both record highs in the last five years.
In Pakistan, terror groups are known to operate openly, recruit freely, and enjoy tacit support from elements of the military and intelligence establishment. While it cries foul on global platforms, it continues to nurture cross-border terrorism, especially when it comes to India and Afghanistan.
Even the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden – who planned and executed the 9/11 terror attack – was located in Pakistan and eliminated in a US operation in Abbottabad.
The ‘zero error’ force of the NSG’s National Bomb Data Centre works on explosive violence. It compiles all information on such incidents taking place globally.
The report states that from 2020 to 2024, Pakistan reported 69 bombing incidents in 2020, 87 in 2021, 68 in 2022, 160 in 2023, and 291 in 2024. This brings the five-year total to 675 incidents, including 486 IEDs and 189 explosive ordnance cases.
The steep rise is an indication of a sharp decline in Pakistan’s internal security. Total bombing incidents have risen by 328 per cent in two years alone, from 68 in 2022 to 291 in 2024. No other nation comes close to that, with the next closest nation, Syria, reporting 32 IED attacks followed by 26 in Afghanistan 26 and 21 in Iraq.
Drastic increase in IED use
The NSG data showed that in 2024, Pakistan had 187 IED attacks – a steep 41 per cent increase as compared to the previous year’s 133 incidents.
It is the most number of IED incidents reported by any nation in the last five years. The application of IEDs now represents nearly two-thirds of total bomb activity across the country.
This drastic increase in IED use indicates the changing strategies of insurgent and militant forces active across different provinces, particularly Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Syria, second on the list, had only 32 incidents. The disparity highlights how Pakistan’s security crisis has become a breeding ground for terror.
Surge in explosive ordnance attacks
As IEDs headline the news, it must also be noted that ordnance attacks increased. Pakistan saw 104 such reports in 2024, a three-fold increase from only 27 in 2023. This aspect contributes to more than one-third of the nation’s overall bombing statistics for the year.
The ordnance consists of grenades, rockets, and mortar rounds and is usually employed in ambushes, attacks against security facilities, and public targets.
This dramatic increase implies not just growth in the availability and flow of military-grade explosives, but also a larger pool of actors who are able to use them. In contrast to other nations, no country reported anywhere near half this quantity in 2024.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
