 "A Pakistan army convoy patrols along a road in Hyderabad on February 6, 2024, ahead of Pakistan's general election. (Representative Photo, Credit: AFP)")
Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 others injured in a ‘coordinated suicide attack’ on a security forces camp in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, near the Afghan border on Friday (17 October), local media reported, citing officials.
Police said a suicide car bomber linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) rammed into the security forces compound in Mir Ali, triggering a gunfight that left three militants dead. The massive blast damaged nearby homes, and videos from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
The attack comes as tensions simmer despite a fragile ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan after days of fierce clashes, just hours before Islamabad and Kabul were set to hold peace talks in Doha.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility of the attack, saying its Khalid bin Waleed suicide unit and Tehreek Taliban Gulbahadar carried out the attacks.
The attack comes during a delicate truce along the Durand Line following a week of intense border fighting that killed dozens on both sides. The ceasefire, agreed upon Wednesday evening, was reached at the request of the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan’s Foreign Office claimed.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAccording to state-run PTV, “a khawarij attempted to carry out a suicide attack against security forces in Mir Ali. One kharji rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of the security camp, after which three more khawarij tried to enter the compound.”
Local media reported that the Pakistani Army deployed attack helicopters as heavy clashes continued in the area, with officials calling the assault one of the most serious militant offensives in North Waziristan in recent months.
In a separate incident, a powerful explosion shook the Mamund Tangi Shah area of Bajaur, reportedly caused by a roadside vehicle packed with explosives. No casualties have been confirmed, and security forces have sealed off the site to investigate possible militant involvement.
The TTP, an umbrella group of militant factions formed in 2007, has carried out numerous deadly attacks across Pakistan.