On Tuesday, December 12, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the main gate of a police station in northwest Pakistan, causing significant casualties and structural damage. The incident claimed the lives of at least 23 security officers and injured 32 others. Several officers are in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll may increase.
The attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. This province was previously a stronghold of the militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The attackers, identified as members of Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a group believed to be an offshoot of TTP, have claimed responsibility for the attack. Their objective was to target officers at the police station.
Following the explosion, a fierce gunfight ensued. Six militants engaged with the security forces in a battle that lasted several hours. In addition, the military reported the death of 27 insurgents in various operations conducted in the same region.
The Daraban police station, the site of the attack, was an operational base for security forces from different parts of the country. These forces were involved in intelligence-based operations against militants, in partnership with the local police.
Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi and caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti have condemned the attack. President Alvi extended his condolences to the families of the deceased officers and reaffirmed the commitment of the security forces. Minister Bugti labeled the event as an act of terrorism.
This incident is a continuation of the escalating violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier this year, a suicide bomber, disguised as a policeman, targeted a mosque in Peshawar, killing at least 101 people, mostly police officers. The Pakistani Taliban have increased their attacks on security forces following the Afghan Taliban’s ascension to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Dera Ismail Khan’s proximity to South Waziristan, a former militant safe haven, is noteworthy. The Pakistan army has been conducting operations against militants in this region, particularly after an attack on an army-run school in 2014, which resulted in over 150 fatalities, predominantly children.
