12 Pak soldiers among 15 killed as explosive-laden vehicle rams security checkpoint

The Pakistani military said security forces killed 12 militants in a retaliatory operation after repelling the assault. The attack comes amid a surge in militant violence in Pakistan's northwest.File photo used for representational purpose onlyAt least 15 people, including 12 Pakistani soldiers, were killed after Islamist militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security checkpoint in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday. Security forces later killed 12 militants in a retaliatory operation.The attack took place overnight between Thursday and Friday at a checkpoint jointly manned by the Pakistan Army and police in Tank district, near the Afghan border. The region has long been a hotspot for militant activity.According to the military, security personnel initially engaged the attackers and prevented them from breaching the checkpoint. The militants then drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the outer wall of the post, triggering a powerful blast that killed 15 people.The Pakistani military said 12 militants were subsequently killed during the retaliatory operation. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said four suicide bombers had participated in the assault.The latest attack comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence across northwestern Pakistan in recent months. The TTP has been waging an insurgency against the Pakistani state since 2007, seeking to overthrow the government and impose its interpretation of Islamic law.Pakistan has repeatedly accused militants of using safe havens in neighbouring Afghanistan to plan and launch attacks across the border, an allegation the Taliban-led government in Kabul has consistently denied. Afghan authorities maintain that militancy in Pakistan is an internal security issue.- EndsWith agency inputsPublished On: Jul 24, 2026 19:56 IST