Suicide bombing at Pakistan army post kills 15, militants claim responsibility

At least 15 people were killed when militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan late Thursday, the military said on Friday. The dead included 12 soldiers, two policemen, and one former government official, according to a statement from the military's media wing.

The attack took place in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region that has seen a rise in militant activity. Security forces killed 12 militants in the ensuing operation, the military added.

“The attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall,” the statement said. “Due to the blast impact, infrastructure at the checkpost was seriously damaged.”

The local Taliban faction, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that four suicide bombers were involved. The claim was issued in a statement from the group.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups operating from Afghan soil of orchestrating cross-border attacks. The Taliban government in Afghanistan denies any involvement. This has led to a deterioration in relations between the two countries, including Pakistani airstrikes on what it says are militant targets in eastern Afghanistan. The United Nations has reported that dozens of civilians were killed in those strikes in June.

Friday's attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan, where security forces have been battling insurgencies for years. The region shares a porous border with Afghanistan, which officials say allows militants to move freely.

The military extended condolences to the families of the deceased and vowed to continue operations against militant networks. No independent confirmation of the casualty figures was immediately available.