Car bomb attack kills 27 in northwest Pakistan

The Taliban" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="17628" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistani Taliban said four suicide bombers carried out the assault in the country's northwest.A suicide attack on a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan has killed 27 people, including soldiers, police and gunmen, the army reported.The overnight attack was near the Afghan border in the restive and remote northwest which has ‌long hosted armed groups that carry out attacks.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Collapsed’: Roadblocks, internet blackout leave Pakistani Kashmir in limbolist 2 of 3Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj freed on baillist 3 of 3Arab and Muslim countries condemn Israeli storming of Al-Aqsa Mosqueend of listThe military reported that 12 soldiers, two police officers and a forestry official were killed, along with 12 attackers.They tried to force their way into the checkpoint in the Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, then rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall.The Pakistan Taliban (TTP) armed group, which has been fighting against the Pakistani state since 2007, said four suicide bombers took part in the assault.A search operation is under way in the surrounding area to track down anyone involved.The bombing is the latest in an extended series of assaults on security forces and other officials and civilians across northwestern Pakistan.The violence has accelerated since the Taliban returned to governance of neighbouring Afghanistan, where many armed groups shelter.Attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have increased sharply, while a surge of attacks and suicide bombings against police in neighbouring Bannu district was reported last week.The Centre for Research and Security Studies recorded fatalities rising from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 last year, while the Pakistan-institute-for-peace-studies" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="171029" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies says attacks nationwide rose 34 percent over the same period.The Pakistani government has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering armed groups. The Taliban-government" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="171027" data-entity-type="organization">Afghan Taliban government denies any involvement and insists the attacks are Pakistan’s internal issue.