Deadly suicide attack in Pakistan kills 16 soldiers; Taliban group claims responsibility

Peshawar: A suicide bombing in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district has killed 16 soldiers and injured more than two dozen others, including civilians, in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent months. Local government officials and police confirmed the toll on Friday.

"A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy," said a local government official in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed that the initial death toll of 13 had risen to 16 following further casualties.

Civilians among the injured

The blast also affected nearby residential areas. "The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children," a police officer posted in the district told.

Attack claimed by Pakistan Taliban faction

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, a faction of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.

Cross-border tensions with Afghanistan

Pakistan has experienced a sharp increase in militant violence in its north-western regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of allowing militants to use Afghan soil for launching attacks into Pakistan, an allegation that Kabul denies.

According to media reports, approximately 290 people, mostly security personnel, have been killed in attacks by armed groups operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces since the beginning of the year.

AFP inputs