At least 11 security personnel and three civilians, including a child, were killed in two bomb attacks and a gunfight between militants and police in northwest Pakistan, as per a security official. The incidents took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leaving 25 others injured. Pakistan’s security forces are facing escalating insurgencies in provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide blast at a Shi’ite mosque in Islamabad, resulting in 31 deaths and 169 injuries. In one incident, a suicide bomber targeted a religious college in Bajaur, killing eight police and Frontier Corps personnel and injuring 10 others. The explosion also led to the collapse of nearby houses, resulting in the death of a child.
In a separate attack at the Miryan police station in Bannu, a bomb planted in a rickshaw killed two civilians and wounded 17 others. Additionally, three police personnel and three militants died during a search operation in Shangla district.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police revealed that the three militants killed in the operation had been involved in targeting Chinese nationals. Chinese investments in Pakistan have led to resentment, with Chinese citizens frequently becoming targets of attacks. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has witnessed significant investment in transport, energy, and infrastructure projects, part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. Due to the area’s proximity to the Silk Road route, militants pose a persistent threat, prompting a joint operation by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and district police to safeguard Chinese development projects.
