Gunmen and a suicide car bomber attacked a Pakistani military post in North Waziristan, sparking an hourlong gunbattle that killed four soldiers and wounded at least 15 civilians. The military said all attackers were killed and blamed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, alleging the operation was planned from across the Afghan border. Pakistan summoned the Afghan Taliban’s deputy head of mission, demanded a full investigation and warned it reserves the right to respond to militants operating from Afghan soil.
Suicide Car Bomber and Gunmen Strike Pakistani Military Post in North Waziristan, Killing Four Soldiers
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
A suicide car bomber and three gunmen attacked a military post near a village in North Waziristan on Friday, triggering an hourlong gunbattle that killed four soldiers and wounded at least 15 civilians, including women and children, authorities said.
The assault occurred in North Waziristan, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along the border with Afghanistan, Pakistani military officials and local police said. Police reported that the blast caused nearby homes to collapse and that several civilians were among the injured.
In an official statement, the military said troops killed all the attackers during the ensuing fighting. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though the military blamed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to the statement, the attackers first tried to breach the post's perimeter but were repelled; they then rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the outer wall.
The explosion damaged nearby houses and a mosque, compounding the toll on civilians in the area. Pakistani forces said the attack appeared to have been planned and directed from across the border in Afghanistan. Kabul issued no immediate comment; Afghanistan's authorities have long maintained they do not allow their territory to be used to launch attacks on other countries.
Pakistan summoned the Afghan Taliban’s deputy head of mission in Islamabad to lodge a formal protest, demanding a full investigation and decisive action against perpetrators and facilitators operating from Afghan soil.
The statement added that Pakistan expects Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to take concrete, verifiable measures to prevent militants from using Afghan territory to strike Pakistan and warned that Islamabad reserves the right to pursue militants and their facilitators.
Tensions between the two neighbors have risen since October, when border clashes followed explosions in Kabul on Oct. 9 that Afghanistan blamed on Pakistan. Qatar later brokered a ceasefire, but follow-up talks hosted by Turkey in November did not produce a lasting agreement.
What We Know
Casualties: Four Pakistani soldiers killed; at least 15 civilians wounded, including women and children.
Attackers: A suicide car bomber and three gunmen; all were killed by troops, according to the military.
Responsibility: No immediate claim of responsibility. Pakistani military blamed the TTP and said the attack was planned from across the Afghan border.
The situation remains tense, and authorities said investigations and diplomatic steps are underway.
