A roadside bomb exploded near a security convoy in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, June 9, 2024, killing seven soldiers, including an army captain, the military confirmed. The attack occurred in Lakki Marwat, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, highlighting a surge in militant activities targeting security forces.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are suspected to be behind the attack. The TTP has strengthened its presence in the region since the Afghan Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The group has not yet claimed responsibility for this latest bombing.
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in militant attacks over recent years, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being a primary target. In January 2023, a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman attacked a mosque in Peshawar, killing at least 101 people, mostly police officers. This incident was one of the deadliest in recent memory, further emphasizing the precarious security situation in the region.
The attack on Sunday is part of a broader trend of violence. According to a recent report by the counter-terrorism department (CTD) of police in Peshawar, 65 police officials have been killed and another 86 wounded in 237 incidents of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past five months. The report also noted that police have killed 117 militants and arrested 299 others in a series of operations.
The Pakistani authorities frequently accuse Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of providing sanctuary to TTP fighters across the border. However, the Afghan Taliban government denies these allegations, stating that it does not permit Afghan soil to be used for violence in any country.
In a related incident in January, a similar roadside bomb in the southwestern Baluchistan province recently killed five soldiers. The Baluchistan Liberation Front, an ethnic Baluch insurgent group, claimed responsibility for this attack, further highlighting the diverse threats Pakistan faces from militant groups operating within its borders.
Militant attacks have become a daily occurrence in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, primarily targeting security forces. These regions, bordering Afghanistan, have seen a substantial increase in insurgent activities, with groups like the TTP and the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) claiming responsibility for numerous attacks.
The persistent militant attacks underline the volatile security environment in Pakistan’s border regions. The Pakistani military and police continue their efforts to combat these threats, but the ongoing violence underscores the challenges they face in ensuring stability and safety in the region.
