At about midday a suicide attacker drove a tractor laden with explosives into the Aman Mela police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan, killing 12 and wounding 35. A rescue worker was later killed and two others wounded when gunmen fired on an ambulance carrying victims' bodies. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which Islamabad says are linked to cross-border militancy. Officials condemned the attack and investigations are ongoing.
Suicide Bomber Rams Explosive-Laden Tractor Into Pakistan Police Checkpoint, Killing 12
The explosion tore apart the Aman Mela checkpoint and destroyed an adjacent house - EPA/Shutterstock
At about midday, a suicide attacker drove a tractor rigged with explosives into the Aman Mela police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 12 people and wounding 35 others, officials said.
Among the dead were a child, two women and nine men; all but one of the fatalities were civilians. In a separate incident following the blast, gunmen opened fire on an ambulance that was transporting victims' bodies, killing a rescue worker and wounding two other people.
Explosives were rigged to the trailer of a tractor driven into the checkpoint - EPA/Shutterstock
Attack And Immediate Response
Officials said the explosive device had been attached to the tractor's trailer. The explosion destroyed the checkpoint and damaged a nearby house. Emergency services dispatched roughly 25 rescue workers, 10 ambulances and a fire engine to recover the wounded and secure the scene.
Claim Of Responsibility And Context
The Pakistani Taliban, a group that has pledged allegiance to Afghanistan's Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has blamed a recent rise in militant violence on elements operating from across the border in Afghanistan—a charge rejected by the Afghan Taliban government. Those accusations have contributed to a bitter political rift and intermittent cross-border exchanges, including Pakistani air strikes that Islamabad says target militant hideouts on Afghan soil.
Pakistani security officials inspect the scene of the blast - EPA/Shutterstock
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack as "appalling" and urged more effective action against what he described as terrorists "belonging to Fitna al Hindustan and Fitna al Khawarij who perpetrate heinous acts with foreign support."
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqqvi also denounced the assault, saying: "The cowardly acts of kharjis cannot weaken the nation's firm resolve against terrorism."
Recent Related Incidents
Officials noted the attack follows other deadly incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month. Earlier, at least 31 people—including 16 police officers—were killed in an explosion and shooting at a police headquarters in Kohat. In December 2023, a suicide attacker detonated a vehicle at the main gate of a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, killing at least 23 security personnel; responsibility for that strike was claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban.
Investigations into the latest attack are ongoing and security forces have stepped up patrols in the region. Authorities have not yet provided further details about the attackers' identities or how the device was assembled and placed.
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