Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers, Injures Dozens in Northwest Pakistan

At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 24 others, including 14 civilians, injured in a suicide bombing that struck a military convoy in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border on Saturday.

The deadly attack occurred in Khadi Market, located in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, according to local reports citing security sources. The bomber targeted a vehicle belonging to the 22 Frontier Force Regiment’s bomb disposal unit as part of a coordinated strike.

Security officials confirmed the explosion as one of the deadliest assaults on military forces in the region in recent months. The Pakistan Army has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a local militant group affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadar, a known insurgent leader operating in North Waziristan.

The bombing comes amid rising militant violence in the tribal districts of Waziristan, Khyber, and Kurram, prompting Pakistan’s military to intensify intelligence-based counterterrorism operations across the province.

Islamabad continues to blame the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), allegedly operating from neighboring Afghanistan, for launching cross-border attacks. The Afghan government, however, denies allowing its territory to be used for such operations.