Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday vowed to eradicate militant violence from the country after a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a security checkpoint in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing four policemen and one security personnel while injuring others.
The incident occurred near Mir Ali, a settlement in the volatile North Waziristan tribal district, where security forces have conducted several intelligence-based operations, though the militants’ capacity to launch deadly attacks has not been fully degraded.
The area has frequently been targeted by the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose leadership is reportedly based in neighboring Afghanistan.
“Terrorists will never succeed in their evil designs,” the president said in a statement quoted by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan, expressing sorrow over the attack.
He condemned the incident as a “cowardly act,” paying tribute to those who lost their lives.
Speaking to Arab News, District Police Officer in North Waziristan Rohanzeb Khan confirmed the bomber used his explosive-laden car to target a checkpoint jointly manned by police and security forces.
“The attack on the security check post took place at around 12:30 PM,” Khan said over the phone. “One security official and four policemen were martyred, while five others suffered multiple injuries.”
He added that a heavy police contingent rushed to the area soon after the incident to begin the investigation.
KP has seen a surge in militant attacks since a fragile ceasefire between the government and the TTP collapsed in November 2022.
Earlier in the day, unknown militants targeted the residence of former Senator Saleh Shah in South Waziristan.
A day earlier, militants killed a 19-year-old Pakistan Military Academy cadet in his hometown of Lakki Marwat during evening prayers at a mosque.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, last year saw more suicide attacks than any since 2014, with 29 such incidents claiming 329 lives, making it Pakistan’s deadliest year in a decade.
The provincial administration of KP also condemned the Mir Ali attack.