At least 12 people, including 11 security personnel and a child, were killed when militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into an army checkpoint in Bajaur district of northwestern Pakistan, the military said on Tuesday.
The attack took place on Monday in Bajaur, which lies along the border with Afghanistan. According to the military, security forces blocked the militants from entering a residential compound housing soldiers. The attackers then drove the vehicle into the wall of the checkpoint, triggering a powerful explosion.
Multiple casualties and injuries
Women and children were among seven people injured in the blast. Authorities said 12 militants were killed as they attempted to flee following the explosion.
The Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Rising wave of violence
The TTP has been engaged in an armed insurgency against the Pakistani state since 2007, seeking to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic governance. Attacks have intensified since the group ended its ceasefire with Islamabad in late 2022.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to TTP militants, allegations that the Afghan Taliban administration has consistently denied.
Earlier this month, a deadly bombing at a mosque in Islamabad killed over 30 worshippers during Friday prayers. That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, raising concerns that Pakistan may be facing renewed militancy on multiple fronts.
Security forces have launched search operations in the region, and heightened alert has been declared across sensitive installations as authorities brace for potential further attacks.