A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a roadside police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and injuring around 30 others, according to police and rescue officials.
The attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for the provincial emergency service. Police said the dead and injured were being taken to a nearby hospital, with some of the wounded reported to be in critical condition.
TTP claims responsibility
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks in recent years, with many claimed by the TTP and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group primarily active in neighbouring Balochistan province.
The TTP is a separate group from the Afghan Taliban, although the two are allied. The Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
With inputs from AP