Militant attack kills 11 at security check post in northern Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security check post in northern Pakistan, killing at least 11 people and wounding 18 others, police and rescue officials said Saturday.

Saifullah Khan, a Dera Ismail Khan police official, told AFP that the attack on the security check post – which is jointly operated by police, military and customs personnel – took place "around noon."

"A suspected suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the checkpoint, killing 11 people," he said.

Bilal Faizi from the 1122 rescue services told AFP that they had recovered eleven bodies following "the militant attack", adding that 18 others were wounded in the incident.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier this month, at least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, were killed in an explosion and gun attack at a police headquarters at Kohat, a town of around 220,000 people in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

Pakistan has blamed the increase in attacks in KP and the southern border province of Balochistan on militancy emanating from Afghanistan, where the Taliban government denies Afghan involvement.

The accusations have sparked a bitter rift and armed conflict between the neighbouring countries, and Pakistan has carried out deadly airstrikes it says target militants on Afghan soil. — AFP