By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - A retired railway employee in Pakistan sacrificed his life on Monday when he confronted a suspected suicide bomber in fields near the Khushalgarh Bridge in Kohat, an inter-provincial border area between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said.

The man, identified as Liaqat, a resident of Mankoor village in tehsil Jand, Attock district, intercepted the bomber as he was moving through agricultural land close to a sensitive security checkpoint. When the suspect was challenged and asked to identify himself, he detonated his explosives in panic, according to initial reports.

Liaqat was martyred on the spot. The attacker, described by security sources as a “Kharji terrorist” -- a term authorities use to refer to TTP terrorists -- was also killed in the blast.

“By standing as a wall of steel before the enemy, Martyr Liaqat not only saved the checkpoint but also many precious lives nearby,” a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

- Preventing a Major Disaster

The bomber’s apparent target was a sensitive military post located in the inter-provincial area, according to preliminary investigations.

Had Liaqat not intervened, officials said, the attack could have caused significant casualties among security personnel and civilians in the vicinity.

Liaqat was a retired employee of Pakistan Railways. No other injuries were reported from the explosion.

Security sources drew a parallel between Liaqat’s actions and those of a young school student in Hangu several years ago, who similarly foiled a suicide attack by embracing the bomber, saving his fellow classmates.

“Brave citizens like Shaheed Liaqat are an asset for Pakistan,” the sources said. “The nation will never forget his sacrifice.”

The statement also highlighted the broader toll of militancy on the country, noting that Pakistan has lost approximately 90,000 lives in its fight against terrorism.

Security sources alleged that the “Kharji terrorists” are acting under the patronage of the Afghan Taliban, attempting to target both civilians and security personnel. However, they added that Pakistan’s security forces, police, and ordinary citizens “have become a wall of steel in front of their nefarious designs.”

The incident underscores the persistent threat of militant violence in Pakistan’s border regions, even as the country continues to grapple with the human cost of decades of counterterrorism operations.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the failed attack.