27 killed in suicide car bombing on Pakistan security post near Afghan border

At least 27 people, including security personnel and attackers, were killed in a deadly suicide car bombing targeting a security checkpoint in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.

According to Pakistan's military, the attack took place late Thursday night (July 23) at a security post in Tank district, a region long plagued by militant activity due to its proximity to Afghanistan.

The military said the death toll includes 12 soldiers, two police officers and one forest official. Security forces also killed 12 militants during a subsequent gun battle.

Authorities said the attackers initially attempted to storm the checkpoint. After failing to breach the facility, they rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the compound's perimeter wall, triggering a powerful explosion that was followed by an intense exchange of gunfire.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state since 2007, claimed responsibility for the assault. The group said four suicide bombers took part in the coordinated attack.

Pakistan's security forces have since launched an extensive search operation to identify and apprehend any remaining militants involved in the incident.

The attack comes amid a renewed surge in militant violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier, neighbouring Bannu district also witnessed multiple attacks targeting police personnel, including suicide bombings.

According to the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), violence-related deaths in Pakistan rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 last year. Separately, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) reported a 34 percent increase in terrorist attacks during the same period, underscoring the country's worsening security situation.

Source: Al Jazeera