Blast in northwest Pakistan kills 11, injures 30 in Dera Ismail Khan

A suicide bombing at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 11 people and injured approximately 30 others on Saturday, according to police and rescue officials. The attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, a district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reported Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial emergency service. The deceased and injured were being transported to a nearby hospital, with some of the injured reported to be in critical condition.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks, many of which have been attributed to the TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group primarily active in the neighboring province of Balochistan. The TTP is an ally of the Afghan Taliban, which regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.