A suicide bombing and subsequent militant attack on a military camp in Pakistan’s northwest on Friday resulted in the death of seven Pakistani soldiers and wounded 13 others, according to security officials. The deadly assault in the North Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, threatens to shatter a fragile 48 hour ceasefire agreed upon just two days prior.
Security officials confirmed that the complex attack began when a militant rammed an explosives laden vehicle into the boundary wall of a military installation in the Mir Ali area. Following the massive explosion, two other armed militants attempted to storm the compound but were killed by security forces. The office of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later issued a statement confirming that a total of six militants were neutralized in the operation, though it did not specify the number of troop fatalities.
The latest violence highlights the continued security challenge along the porous border and comes at a critical time as the temporary ceasefire between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban administration was set to expire. The truce was intended to allow for constructive dialogue following days of intense cross border fighting that had killed dozens of people on both sides.
Pakistan has consistently urged the Afghan Taliban to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistani soil, a charge the administration in Kabul has repeatedly denied. The surge in cross border militancy, primarily attributed to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has strained relations between the two neighbours to their lowest point in years.
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