Suicide attack kills 10 in northwest Pakistan

A suicide attack in northwest Pakistan killed 10 soldiers Tuesday evening, an intelligence source told AFP, after another attack less than a day earlier left eight dead in the region bordering Afghanistan.

“A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near the checkpoint, after which his accomplices opened fire,” an intelligence official said of the latest attack in Bannu.

“As of the latest updates, 10 people have been killed and seven injured in the attack,” he said.

The official said that the explosion “caused significant damage” to the Mali Khel checkpoint’s structure as well as to military vehicles.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bombing occurred less than 24 hours after another attack, also in the northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to another official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

That clash on Monday resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers and nine militants in the Tirah area of the province, the officer said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for that attack.