At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 others injured, including 19 civilians, in a devastating suicide bomb attack in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, June 28. According to local officials who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, the attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle directly into a military convoy, causing a massive blast that also damaged nearby homes and collapsed the roofs of two residential structures, injuring six children. The injured soldiers and civilians were rushed to nearby medical facilities for emergency treatment.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but the region has long been a hotbed of insurgency and frequent violence, particularly involving the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The latest bombing is part of a worrying trend, with militant strikes surging across both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Earlier this year in March, the Pakistan Army said it killed 10 militants with suspected TTP links following a suicide bombing near the Frontier Corps camp in South Waziristan. In a separate incident that same month, militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express train, killing 21 passengers and four security personnel.
Pakistan has experienced a significant escalation in terrorism-related casualties, with the Global Terrorism Index 2025 reporting a 45% increase in terror-related deaths — from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024 — placing the country second globally in terms of fatalities. The recurring attacks highlight the ongoing security challenges in the border regions and raise serious concerns over counterterrorism operations and intelligence preparedness. As investigations continue, the military and law enforcement agencies have launched a manhunt for those behind the deadly bombing, while the nation mourns the lives lost in yet another brutal act of violence.
