A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at perimeter wall of the outpost in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and damaged the adjoining infrastructure during the attack on Tuesday evening, killing at least 12 security personnel and injuring several others, according to intelligence and security officials.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, one of the most devastating in recent months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Security forces launched an operation to apprehend those responsible, but the occupied-authority has yet to issue an official statement.
The attack coincided with high-level meetings in Islamabad where the country’s political and military leadership was discussing measures to counter surging militant violence.
Violence in Pakistan has risen sharply since November 2022, when the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ended a ceasefire with the Paki establishment. The TTP, which has ideological and operational ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban, has been emboldened since the latter’s takeover of Kabul in 2021.
This attack underscores the growing threat posed by militant groups in the region. In December 2023, a suicide bombing at a police station in Dera Ismail Khan killed 23 troops.
Abdullah Khan, a senior defense analyst at the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said that over 900 security personnel have been killed in militant attacks since the TTP ended its truce. “Militant groups like TTP are expanding their operations, recruiting more fighters, and securing funding and weapons,” Khan said.
Khan emphasized the need for political stability to effectively counter insurgency. Pakistan has faced political turmoil since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in 2022. His subsequent imprisonment in 2023 has led to widespread protests by his supporters, adding to the nation’s instability.