Security forces in northwest Pakistan killed as TTP claims car bomb attack
Violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province continues to escalate, with fatalities rising sharply in recent years amid a broader regional security crisis involving cross-border accusations and military exchanges.
A suicide attack on a security checkpoint in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has killed 27 people, according to the Pakistani military. The assault, which occurred overnight near the Afghan border, involved an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the perimeter wall after attackers attempted to force their way into the facility.
The military confirmed the casualties, which include 12 soldiers, two police officers, and one forestry official, alongside 12 attackers. The Pakistan Taliban (TTP), an armed group that has been fighting the Pakistani state since 2007, claimed responsibility for the incident. The group stated that four suicide bombers were involved in the operation, and a search operation is currently underway to track down those involved.
This incident represents the latest in an extended series of assaults on security forces and civilians across northwestern Pakistan. Violence in the region has accelerated since the Taliban returned to governance in neighbouring Afghanistan, where many armed groups are believed to shelter. Attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have increased sharply, with a notable surge of attacks and suicide bombings reported in the adjacent Bannu district last week.
Data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies indicates a significant rise in fatalities, recording 2,331 deaths in the previous year compared to 1,620 in 2024. Similarly, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies reported a 34 percent rise in attacks nationwide over the same period, highlighting the deteriorating security landscape.
The Pakistani government has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring armed groups, a claim firmly denied by the Afghan Taliban government, which insists the attacks are an internal Pakistani issue. The dispute has escalated into direct military action, with Pakistan carrying out repeated air raids on Afghan soil targeting armed groups, and Afghanistan firing back. The United Nations has recorded hundreds of Afghan civilian deaths from these strikes this year, deepening the diplomatic and security rift between the two neighbours.
