At least 11 dead following suicide bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan

At least 11 people were killed and around 30 others were injured following a suicide bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, according to police and rescue officials.

The bomber is said to have detonated a vehicle laden with explosives at a roadside police checkpoint.

Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency service, said the attack had taken place in the district of Dera Ismail Khan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, or Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Pakistan has seen increasing militant attacks in recent years, with the TTP claiming many of them.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) describes the TTP as a "conglomerate" of roughly 40 tribal and non-tribal militant groups primarily fighting against the Pakistani state. The group, founded in late 2007, is allied with the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in 2021 after overthrowing the US-backed government in Kabul.

According to the CEP, TTP militants regularly carry out attacks against security forces, civilians, and political figures across both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

This is a developing story. Check back here for further details.