Armed militants have reportedly launched an assault on a military outpost in the northwestern region of Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 23 individuals in a combination of gunfire and suicide bombings.
The incident took place on Tuesday in Daraban, a town approximately 60km (37 miles) from Dera Ismail Khan city, situated in the volatile province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This province is positioned on the outskirts of the lawless tribal areas that share a border with Afghanistan.
According to reports, the attackers drove a vehicle filled with explosives into the primary entrance of the police station, and then carried out a suicide bombing.
“The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple causalities,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, adding that six attackers took part in the assault.
At least 34 people were reported to have been injured in the attack and were taken to a military hospital in Dera Ismail Khan.
The ISPR said that “sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist present in the area.”
The recently emerged Pakistani organization Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed responsibility for an attack targeting the Pakistani army, stating that its fighters were involved, according to a statement released by the group.
The TJP alleges connections to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as TTP, a banned militant organization that has been attacking the government and its establishments for a long time.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced an increase in violence, including multiple deadly attacks. In January, over 100 individuals lost their lives in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar.
Authorities report that fighters have gained confidence while residing openly in Afghanistan following the Taliban's assumption of power in 2021.
The TTP, despite being an independent organization, has a strong alliance with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Dera Ismail Khan was once a stronghold of the TTP, a group aiming to topple the government and enforce their strict interpretation of religious laws.
