At least seven soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred while several others, including both military personnel and civilians, sustained injuries in a deadly suicide bombing followed by a coordinated assault on a security forces convoy in Khadi Market, Mir Ali, North Waziristan, early Saturday morning. According to security officials, the attack began when a suicide bomber detonated explosives near a vehicle of the Bomb Disposal Unit of the 22 Frontier Force Regiment. The powerful blast was followed by a physical assault carried out by armed Khawarij, resulting in one of the deadliest confrontations in recent months.
Several soldiers were critically injured in the attack, while civilians including women, children, shopkeepers, and passersby also suffered injuries due to the explosion in the busy market area. The wounded were first taken to the Advanced Dressing Station in Mir Ali and later shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Bannu for further treatment.
Security forces responded promptly and launched a counter-assault, engaging the attackers in an intense exchange of fire. Preliminary and unconfirmed reports suggest that 17 Khawarij were killed in the retaliatory action, while seven soldiers laid down their lives in the line of duty.
Following the attack, the area was sealed off and a search and clearance operation was initiated. While no group has claimed responsibility for the assault so far, officials believe it was the work of Khawarij elements attempting to sabotage the region’s fragile peace and create unrest.
A senior official reaffirmed the Pakistan Army’s commitment to eliminating the Khawarij from the country. “Such cowardly attacks only strengthen our resolve. The sacrifices of our brave martyrs will not be forgotten. As a nation, we remain united in this fight,” he said.
