Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers, Injures Dozens in Northwest Pakistan

At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and dozens more injured in a suicide bombing targeting a military convoy in the northwestern district of North Waziristan on Saturday.

Local officials said the attack occurred around 6 a.m. near Mir Ali town, during a curfew in the area. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a truck carrying soldiers assigned to bomb disposal duties. The blast wounded at least 10 more soldiers and 14 civilians, including women and children, and also damaged surrounding homes.

The attack took place in Khadi village and has been claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a local faction of the Pakistani Taliban operating in North Waziristan. The group has carried out multiple deadly assaults in and around Mir Ali in recent years.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, condemned the bombing.

North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a resurgence of militant activity since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the largest Taliban faction in the country, has escalated attacks on security forces, straining Islamabad’s ties with Kabul.

In response, Pakistan has launched several cross-border strikes against alleged TTP hideouts in Afghanistan and has urged the Afghan Taliban to halt the group’s operations.

Miran Shah, the regional headquarters, confirmed the military is continuing security operations in the area following the attack.