PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a security post in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday evening, killing 12 soldiers and wounding several others, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday.
According to Pakistani media reports, the attack, one of the deadliest in recent months, took place in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pakistani military, in a statement on Wednesday, said security forces repelled an attempt by militants to breach the post.
The military said that in the exchange of fire following the attack, six militants, referred to as “khwarij” — a term the government uses for members of the Pakistani Taliban — were killed.
“The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted by own troops, which forced the khwarij to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post,” the statement said. It noted that the explosion caused part of the wall to collapse, damaging nearby infrastructure and resulting in the deaths of 12 security personnel.
Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have intensified attacks since ending a monthslong cease-fire with the government in November 2022.
The TTP is a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close ties with the group, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The Afghan Taliban’s return to power has emboldened the TTP, whose leaders and fighters are believed to operate from Afghan territory.
Escalating violence
Tuesday’s attack came as Pakistan’s political and military leaders convened in Islamabad to address rising militant violence. Earlier in November, a suicide bombing by the Balochistan Liberation Army at a train station in Quetta killed 26 people, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to authorize a “comprehensive military operation” targeting separatist and extremist groups.
In the northwest, militant attacks have surged in recent months, with security forces frequently clashing with TTP fighters and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
According to Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, over 900 security personnel have been killed in militant attacks since the TTP ended its cease-fire in 2022.
“TTP and other groups have expanded their operations, showing they are getting more recruits, money, and weapons,” Khan said, emphasizing the need for political stability to effectively counter the insurgency.
The rise in militant violence has coincided with Pakistan’s ongoing political crisis. Since the ousting of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in 2022, the country has faced growing unrest. Khan’s arrest and imprisonment in 2023 have triggered rallies by his supporters demanding his release, further straining the government’s capacity to address security challenges.
