16 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Militant Attack Near Afghan Border

Sixteen Pakistani soldiers were killed and five others critically injured in a militant attack on a military post near the Afghan border, intelligence officials confirmed.

A senior Pakistani intelligence officer, speaking anonymously to AFP, reported that approximately 30 militants targeted the military post in the Makki area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the night.

Details of the Attack

"Sixteen soldiers were killed, and five others sustained severe injuries," another intelligence official stated.

This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent months.

A Wave of Violence

Last month, a suicide bombing on a military checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan claimed the lives of 12 soldiers. According to a statement from the Pakistani military, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the checkpoint's perimeter wall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, causing damage to nearby infrastructure.

The military reported eliminating six militants during a subsequent operation to clear the area but did not specify which group was responsible. However, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a militant extremist group, later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rising Security Challenges

Pakistan continues to grapple with a surge in militant violence in its rugged northwestern regions, along with an escalating ethnic separatist insurgency in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

On November 20, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a new military operation targeting separatist rebels in Balochistan. This province, adjacent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hosts major Chinese projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and has recently witnessed a series of deadly attacks.