KABUL – A devastating suicide bombing at a checkpoint in western Pakistan on Saturday has claimed the lives of eight individuals and left five others injured, according to local police reports. The attack occurred near the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a bomber detonated explosives from the back of a motorbike rickshaw.
Among the deceased are four police officers, two members of a state paramilitary force, and two civilians. The attack happened close to the Afghan border, an area increasingly impacted by violence following the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan in 2021. Officials assert that hostile groups are now utilizing Afghanistan as a refuge to launch attacks in Pakistan.
Of the five injured, three are reported in critical condition and have been transferred to a local military hospital for urgent medical care. The incident has been claimed by a lesser-known militant group, “Aswad ul-Harb.”
This latest assault follows a recent attack by the Pakistani Taliban on another checkpoint, resulting in the deaths of ten police officers. The trend of violence in Pakistan is alarming; last year marked the highest number of suicide attacks since 2014, with 29 incidents reported and a total of 329 fatalities, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
As authorities continue to investigate, the security situation in the region remains tense, highlighting the growing challenge of militancy in Pakistan.