At least 13 Pakistan soldiers killed in a suicide attack

Islamabad, June 29, (dpa/GNA) – At least 13 soldiers were killed in a deadly suicide attack in Pakistan's north-western tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said on Saturday.

The militants targeted an army convey in Mir Ali region of North Waziristan district that once was a stronghold of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

“At least 13 soldiers were killed in the suicide attack,” a local police official said. Another 24 people including 14 civilians were wounded after an explosive-laden vehicle detonated next to the army vehicle.

The death toll is feared to increase as six people including four soldiers were in critical condition.

A militant group affiliated with Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest attacks in recent months in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier this week, the army said an officer and a solider were killed by the militants in the province.

The TTP is an umbrella group for Islamist militants in the country and has stepped up attacks on the country’s security forces following a fragile truce with the government in 2022.

The group has increased the frequency of attacks particularly on security forces in the north-western region.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of being reluctant to take action against Islamist militants allegedly operating from their hideouts in Afghanistan. The regime denies the allegations.

GNA