Rebels stormed a Pakistani security outpost in Bajaur district, along the rugged border with Afghanistan, late on Thursday night, killing at least eight troops and injuring thirty‑five others.
According to two security officials, the attackers rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the camp before engaging in a fierce gun battle.
The assault marked one of the deadliest incidents in recent weeks, following a string of militant operations that have already claimed nearly thirty lives and heightened tensions with Afghanistan, which Pakistan accuses of sheltering insurgent groups. Kabul has consistently rejected these allegations.
Images from the devastated outpost revealed that much of the structure had been reduced to rubble, with the remaining sections charred and blackened. One official explained that the rebels first deployed a quadcopter to target the camp, before detonating the explosive‑laden car that caused a massive blast.
Armed fighters then stormed the compound and opened indiscriminate fire on the personnel inside. The official emphasised that the outpost was a critical installation for countering cross‑border attacks in the volatile region.
Security forces responded swiftly, surrounding the area and killing all the rebels involved in the assault. However, Pakistan’s military has yet to issue an official statement. A Reuters correspondent in Bajaur town reported that the explosion was so powerful it was felt in markets more than twenty kilometres away. Roads were closed and the military cordoned off the area in the aftermath of the attack.
The Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility in a statement circulated to journalists. The group has intensified its campaign in recent months, with two attacks near Bannu since Saturday killing twenty‑five people, while a separate clash in Balochistan left five soldiers dead.
Islamabad maintains that the TTP’s leadership and many of its fighters are based in Afghanistan, alongside armed insurgents seeking independence for Balochistan. Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing rebels to use Afghan territory to launch operations against Pakistan.
The incident comes against the backdrop of worsening relations between Islamabad and Kabul. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Afghan territory, claiming to target militant strongholds.
These strikes triggered the most serious fighting between the two countries in years, underscoring the fragile security situation along their shared frontier. The Bajaur attack is likely to further inflame tensions, as Pakistan grapples with the resurgence of militant violence across its northwest and southwest regions.
Reuters
