In a harrowing incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district of Pakistan, a massive suicide bombing claimed the lives of 13 soldiers and left more than two dozen injured. Among the wounded are over a dozen women and children, many of whom are in critical condition. The attack took place at the Khadi Market in Mir Ali, where a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives rammed into a Pakistani military MRAP vehicle at approximately 7:40 AM. This vehicle was part of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit tasked with bomb disposal duties in civilian areas.
The Usud-al-Harb faction of the terrorist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), affiliated with the Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen and Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a local official who requested anonymity, 'A suicide bomber drove a vehicle laden with explosives into the military convoy. The explosion killed 13 soldiers, injuring 10 military personnel and 19 civilians.' The explosion also damaged nearby homes.
A police officer stationed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the AFP news agency, 'The explosion caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children.' The recent suicide attack comes amidst a surge in terrorist activities throughout Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. As reported by Geo News, in March of this year, the Pakistani army claimed to have killed 10 suspected terrorists linked to the TTP.
Additionally, in March, militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched an attack near Gudalar and Piru Kunri on the Jaffer Express train, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and four paramilitary personnel. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 highlights a 45% increase in terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan, rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, placing Pakistan second globally in terms of deaths from terrorist attacks.
