Tactics amongst suicide bombers appear to have changed markedly in 2010 in Pakistan, according to an analysis by the Jang Media group. Their study showed a 35% decline in the number of attacks but an increase in the overall death toll, suggesting they were targeting larger crowds than in the past.
Indeed, the survey showed 1,224 civilians slain in the bombings, and this was before the 45 additional civilians killed in the Saturday bombing in Bajaur, with another 2,157 wounded (again, before the 100+ wounded in Bajaur).
The overall death toll is actually the highest in Pakistan since the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan, an comes as a number of record death tolls have also been recorded in neighboring Afghanistan.
The Obama Administration is pressuring Pakistan for a dramatic increase in attacks in its tribal areas, and has even suggested that it may launch a ground invasion of the tribal areas itself. With Pakistan already bearing a terrible price from the US war to its north, 2011 is shaping up to be even worse.
