At least 27 people, including security personnel and attackers, were killed in a suicide attack on a security checkpoint in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, the country’s military said.

The attack took place overnight in Tank district, where assailants attempted to storm the checkpoint before detonating an explosives-laden vehicle. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the assault.

Security Personnel Among Those Killed

According to the Pakistan Army, those killed included 12 soldiers, two police officers and a forestry official.

The military said 12 attackers were also killed during the assault.

The TTP said four suicide bombers participated in the attack, which began with an attempt to breach the security checkpoint before a vehicle packed with explosives was rammed into its perimeter wall.

Security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding area to trace any remaining attackers or their accomplices.

Violence Escalates in Northwest Pakistan

The latest attack is part of a sustained rise in militant violence targeting security forces, government officials and civilians in Pakistan’s northwestern region.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a sharp increase in attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

Neighbouring Bannu district also witnessed a surge in attacks and suicide bombings targeting police personnel last week.

Militant Attacks on the Rise

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies, fatalities linked to militant violence increased from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.

The Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies has also reported a 34 per cent rise in militant attacks across the country during the same period.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to armed groups responsible for cross-border attacks, an allegation the Taliban-led government in Kabul has denied.

The dispute has fuelled tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan carrying out air strikes against what it says are militant targets inside Afghanistan and Afghan forces responding militarily.

The United Nations has reported hundreds of Afghan civilian deaths resulting from the cross-border strikes this year, adding to tensions between the neighbouring countries.

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