John AdoyiIn what has been tagged one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan, a suicide bomber targeted a police station in Northwest Pakistan, claiming the lives of 23 officers and leaving scores injured.
The attack occurred on Tuesday morning, when a truck loaded with explosives rammed into the gates of the police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, causing part of the building to collapse, a statement by the Pakistani army’s media branch said.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAccording to the statement, several militants tried to enter the compound but were repelled and six of the attackers were killed.
The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) which claims link to the Pakistani Taliban group (TTP) says its militants attacked the Army base.
Sources told Al Jazeera that at least 34 injured persons were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The Pakistani government has condemned the attack. Prime Minister Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar and caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the families affected by the tragedy.
Militia attacks in Pakistan have been on the rise for the past one year.
According to a report published by the Islamabad-based independent Center for Research and Security Studies, or CRSS in September, more than 700 military officials and civilians were killed in the first nine months of 2023.
The report highlighted a 19% rise in the fatalities resulting from terrorist attacks this year compared to 2022, with the two Pakistani provinces of southwestern Baluchistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan bearing 92% of the total casualties.
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“Pakistan’s security forces lost at least 386 personnel, 36% of all fatalities — including 137 army and 208 police personnel — in the first nine months of 2023, marking an eight-year high,” the CRSS said.
Furthermore, the report pointed out that 33 paramilitary forces, overseen by the army, were also among the casualties.
The proscribed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the regional faction of the Islamic State terrorist organization referred to as the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and separatist Baluch insurgents usually claim responsibility for the attacks.
In January this year, an attack on a mosque in Peshawar killed at least 101 persons. In July, a military base in southwestern Baluchistan province was attacked and 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
In September, more than 59 persons were killed during the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed. Another attack in November claimed at least seven lives.
The Pakistani Government has blamed the recent attacks in the country on the volatile situation in Afghanistan.
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