Islamist militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a Pakistani security checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing 15 people, including 12 soldiers, the military said on Friday.

The attack took place overnight between Thursday and Friday in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, at a post jointly manned by the military and police.

The army said its personnel engaged the attackers after they failed to breach the checkpoint’s security. 12 militants were killed in the retaliation.

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A grim account

The army said, “Fifteen brave sons of soil, including twelve military, two policemen, and an ex-government official from the forest department, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat (martyrdom).”

The same statement stated, “The attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall” and added, “Due to [the] blast impact, infrastructure at the checkpoint was seriously damaged.”

The military’s account said the vehicle hit the outer wall after the attackers failed to break through the checkpoint.

The plot reveals its authors

Local Taliban militants, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said four suicide bombers took part in the assault.

Militancy has risen sharply in northwest Pakistan in recent months. The incident took place in the Tank district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area that borders Afghanistan and has long been home to Islamist militants.

The frontier’s old troubles return

The attack again drew attention to the security situation along Pakistan’s western border, where Islamabad has repeatedly blamed rising militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on extremists it says operate from Afghanistan.

Kabul has denied that allegation and says the violence is Pakistan’s domestic problem.

Pakistan has accused militants of using safe havens in Afghanistan to train and plan attacks, a charge the Taliban government denies.

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FAQs

Q1: Where did the suicide bombing in Pakistan take place?

The attack occurred at a joint military and police checkpoint in Tank district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.

Q2: Who claimed responsibility for the Pakistan suicide bombing?

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying four suicide bombers were involved.