Security forces decisively thwart attempted assault on checkpoint, exposing militants’ plot and underscoring vigilant defence, ISPR confirms
By ISPR/Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
ISLAMABAD/BAJAUR: At least 12 militants linked to an India-backed proxy group were killed, while 11 security personnel lost their lives during a brazen terrorist attack in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Tuesday.
The attack, which targeted a joint checkpost manned by Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies, was swiftly repelled, though not without tragic consequences. According to the ISPR, the assailants attempted to breach the checkpost with a combination of firearms and explosives, seeking to inflict maximum damage.
“The assailants sought to breach the checkpost security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly and decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Pakistan’s security forces,” the military’s media wing stated. Despite the defenders’ prompt action, the attackers managed to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall, causing significant structural damage to a nearby civilian residence.
The blast claimed the life of a young girl and left seven others, including women and children, injured. The incident highlights the persistent threat of cross-border terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in provinces bordering Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have witnessed an upsurge in violent incursions.
Authorities say Afghan-based militants continue to exploit the porous frontier to launch attacks on both security forces and civilian populations. In a briefing earlier this month, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across Pakistan in 2025.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for 14,658 of these operations, while Balochistan saw 58,778, and the remainder took place in other parts of the country. Lt Gen Chaudhry also reported that 5,397 terrorism-related incidents occurred nationwide last year, with the majority concentrated in KP and Balochistan.
Counterterrorism operations resulted in the deaths of 2,597 militants, and authorities emphasized that civilians and soft targets were deliberately targeted in all major attacks. He noted that Afghan militants had been involved in every significant incident, underscoring the ongoing cross-border dimension of Pakistan’s security challenges.
The Bajaur attack serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by security forces and local communities alike in Pakistan’s northwestern frontier, where militant networks continue to exploit regional instability to pursue their deadly objectives.
