A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a roadside police checkpoint in north-west Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 11 people. Police and rescue officials said around 30 others were also injured in the blast.
The attack occurred in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial emergency services.
Taliban claim responsibility
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.
Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks in recent years, many of them claimed by the TTP and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, a separatist group mainly active in neighbouring Balochistan province.
Separate but allied with Afghan Taliban
The TTP is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
No further details about the victims or the exact location of the checkpoint have been released so far. Rescue teams and police have been deployed to the site, and the injured have been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges in the region, where militant groups continue to target security forces and public infrastructure. Authorities are expected to investigate the incident and may tighten security measures at checkpoints in the province in response.
