Attacks on mining operations on the rise in Pakistan: report

AI desk brief

Attacks on extractive operations in Pakistan’s Balochistan province are escalating, with 38 incidents reported from January to September 2026 and more than 130 over the past three years, heightening security risk around major copper-gold assets including Reko Diq and Saindak. ACLED says most attacks hit transport routes rather than mine sites, mainly aiming to disrupt operations through property damage and intimidation rather than fatalities.

The report flags a growing investment hurdle for Pakistan’s push to develop some of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits, with companies already warning of shutdowns or slower operations. Continued instability could delay project development and keep a geopolitical risk premium on regional mining assets.