The year 2007, which ended with the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, saw over 3,400 people falling victims to terror attacks and political violence across the country.

According to a report prepared by the private think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies, a total of 1,442 terrorist attacks, incidents of political violence and border clashes that occurred in 2007 left 3,448 people dead and 5,353 injured.

Pakistan witnessed 60 suicide attacks in 2007, most of them aimed at the security forces. A total of 770 people were killed and 1,574 injured in these attacks, the report said.

"Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto's [Images] tragic assassination and continued attacks on and kidnapping of army personnel round the year put a big question mark on the efficiency and effectiveness of the security forces against terrorism," said the report.

The report, released on Friday, said of the 1,442 incidents of violence, 1,306 were terrorist attacks carried out by local Taliban, jehadi and sectarian groups and Baloch nationalist insurgents.

On the borders with Afghanistan and Iran, the security situation remained tense and 23 major clashes were reported, it said.

In response to terrorist attacks, the security forces conducted 61 counter-attacks in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Swat and its adjoining areas in North West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

"The causalities remained higher than the last two years as 3,448 persons were killed and 5,353 injured in 2007. The casualty figures are 128 per cent and 491.7 per cent higher than 2006 and 2005, respectively," it said.

The highest number of casualties - 1,663 - was reported in the tribal areas. Around 1,096 people were killed in the NWFP. As many as 224 casualties were reported in Balochistan, while 205 persons were killed in the port city of Karachi.

The report said the security situation in Pakistan remained 'highly unsatisfactory' amid terrorist attacks throughout the year, with the NWFP, tribal areas and the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad appearing as the most troubled spots where 'Taliban and Al Qaeda [Images] operatives' kept striking army troops and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Security forces were increasingly targeted in 2007. A total of 466 security personnel were killed, including 163 paramilitary personnel from the Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers, 71 policemen and 232 Pakistan Army personnel.

As many as 175 security personnel were killed in the tribal areas and 170 in the NWFP, followed by 63, 20, 19 and 18 in Balochistan, Karachi, Islamabad and Punjab respectively.

The report is based on data from reports in newspapers magazines and journals, field sources and official records.