Pakistan: Suicide bomber attacks police checkpoint, 11 dead
What's the story
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a roadside police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwestern Pakistan on Saturday. The attack killed at least 11 people and injured around 30 others. Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition, media reports stated, citing police and rescue officials.
Emergency response
TTP claims responsibility for attack
The victims of the suicide bombing were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for this attack.
This incident comes just a week after another suicide bombing in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In that incident, at least 31 people were killed, and over 100 others were injured, according to AFP.
Rising violence
Rise in militant attacks in Pakistan
Notably, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks recently. The TTP and the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have claimed many of these attacks.
The BLA is a separatist group that operates mainly from Balochistan province bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has surpassed the latter as Pakistan's most volatile province.
Although the TTP is a separate entity, it has close ties with the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.