Security forces foil suicide attack on military post near Miranshah

ISLAMABAD: Security forces thwarted a suicide attack on a military post near Miranshah in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, according to security sources cited on Tuesday.

Security sources said militants belonging to Fitna al Khawarij attempted to drive an explosives-laden vehicle into the post. They said troops responded in time and destroyed the vehicle before it could reach its target.

According to the same sources, four terrorists were killed during the operation. They added that security forces had remained on high alert, which helped prevent the assault from succeeding.

Security sources further said the attackers had mounted the attempt because of the success of operations carried out around Miranshah in recent days. They added that more than 20 terrorists had been killed in those operations so far.

Further operations were continuing in the area, security sources said, adding that those responsible for the attempted attack and their facilitators would be brought to justice.

Security situation

Fitna al Khawarij is the term used by the state for militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Pakistan has seen a renewed rise in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Last week, at least eight militants were killed in an operation in Darra Adamkhel in KP, including two Afghan nationals linked to the banned Tariq Gidar group, an affiliate of the TTP.

On May 19, security forces killed 22 India-sponsored terrorists in North Waziristan.

The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said in its monthly security assessment that the country’s security situation worsened sharply in May, mainly because of increasing militant violence in KP and Balochistan.