Roadside bomb attack against Pakistan security forces near Afghan border; 11 people killed

KARACHI: 11 people, including nine paramilitary soldiers, were killed in a roadside bomb attack targeting a convoy of Pakistani security forces near the Afghan border. The Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to reports, the blast occurred in Kurram district in Pakistan's northeast, following an exchange of fire between security forces and militants. Local police said that a few days earlier, the Pakistani army had killed a militant named Pir Agha Qandhari, who was identified as an Afghan national and a member of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. He was reportedly killed in an encounter with security forces in the Gabir area of Bajaur district on Tuesday. Police described him as a key militant involved in numerous terrorist activities.

Last month, a powerful explosion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a stronghold of the TTP, killed around 30 people. Locals claimed that the Pakistani Air Force carried out the strike, but police said the blast was caused by explosives stored by the militants, which accidentally detonated. Police also accused the militants of using civilians as human shields.

In recent months, there have been frequent attacks on Pakistan’s security forces. Officials say the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan is trying to destabilise the government and seize power, using Afghanistan as a base for planning attacks. However, Afghan authorities have denied these allegations.