File Photo

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD – A suicide bombing targeting a security check post in northwestern Pakistan claimed the lives of at least nine security personnel and injured four others, a local official confirmed on Wednesday.

The attack occurred on Tuesday evening in the Mali Khan area of Bannu district, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police.

The bomber detonated explosives near the check post, inflicting heavy casualties. Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has yet to release an official statement about the incident.

The bombing in Bannu follows a string of recent violent incidents in the region

As just a day prior, seven policemen kidnapped from the Bannu district were "safely" recovered on Tuesday evening.

• Clashes in Tirah Valley: Over the weekend, eight security personnel were killed during intense gun battles with militants in the Tirah valley, a region bordering Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Army reported that eight terrorists were killed during the clashes in Tirah. However, it did not confirm reports of soldier casualties in the fighting.

The surge in militant attacks highlights the deteriorating security situation in northwestern Pakistan, further straining the country’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts.

So far, no militant group claim responsibility for the latest attack but terrorist group TTP always carried out attacks and targetting security forces in the region.

 Meanwhile, Pakistan army in a statement said that at least 12 soldiers were killed in the suicide bombing in Bannu.

ISPR said  Khwarij attempted to attack a Joint Check Post in general area MaliKhel in Bannu District and in ensuing fire exchange, six khwarij were sent to hell. The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted by own troops, which forced the khwarij to ram an explosive laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post.

"The suicide blast led to collapse of portion of perimeter wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in Shahadat of twelve brave sons of soil that include ten Soldiers of the security forces and two soldiers of Frontier Constabulary," it said.

Sanitization operation is being conducted in the area and the perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice. Security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resol, it added.