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KABUL – More than 20 security officers and three civilians have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) across northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.
The deadliest incident occurred when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the gate of a police training centre, followed by a gun attack that killed seven officers. Eleven paramilitary troops were also killed in Khyber district, while five people, including three civilians, died in clashes in Bajaur district.
The TTP, which has intensified its insurgency since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, claimed responsibility for the attacks on social media. The group is distinct from, but closely linked to, the Afghan Taliban.
The violence came shortly after Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of “violating Kabul’s sovereign territory” following two explosions in the Afghan capital. Pakistan has not confirmed involvement but insists it has the right to defend itself against cross-border militant attacks, blaming Afghan authorities for failing to prevent militants from using Afghan territory to strike Pakistan.
Including Friday’s attacks, at least 32 Pakistani security personnel and three civilians have been killed in the border regions this week alone, highlighting the ongoing surge in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
