Eight killed in suicide attack targeting police picket in Pakistan

At least eight people, including six law enforcement personnel, were killed and many others injured on Saturday in a suicide attack targeting a police picket in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The blast occurred at the Aslam Check Post in Mir Ali tehsil of the North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, according to sources.

Riding three-wheelers, the bombers hit the check post and vehicles of the security forces, killing four police personnel, two soldiers and two civilians.

Those injured were shifted to a local hospital. According to sources, the casualty figure may rise.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, the area was cordoned off by the security forces.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack.

"Sacrifices of the security forces in the war against terror would be remembered for a long time to come. Activities against terror outfits would continue unabated till their total elimination from the region," he said.

Recently, Pakistan has witnessed a significant increase in terrorist activities. Around a dozen militants were eliminated this month by security forces in the North Waziristan district during anti-terrorism operations.

On Thursday, 10 security personnel were killed and three others injured when militants attacked their checkpost in the province's Dera Ismail Khan district.

There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021.

The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

Most terror incidents are reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, both bordering the neighbouring country.

A report published by the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) think tank earlier this month said the third quarter of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90 per cent surge in violence in the country.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year surpassed those recorded for the entire 2023, with 722 deaths, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws.

Nearly 97 per cent of these fatalities occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — marking the highest percentage in a decade.