Overview
- A suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a road checkpoint in Bajaur after troops ordered the vehicle to stop, and gunmen then tried to force entry.
- Part of the checkpoint complex collapsed, killing 11 soldiers and a girl and injuring several civilians, according to the army and police.
- Nearby homes sustained severe damage from the blast, and at least seven civilians, including women and children, were wounded.
- Security forces pursued the assailants and killed 12 militants described in official statements as “khwarij,” a term authorities use for the TTP.
- No group has claimed responsibility; search operations continue in the district, national leaders issued condemnations, and officials place the violence within a broader TTP-linked surge that has strained ties with Afghanistan.