At least 11 people were killed and around 30 others injured after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a roadside police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan city in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, officials said.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, the Associated Press reported. The incident comes amid a broader rise in militant attacks in Pakistan, with several recent assaults claimed by the TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Suicide bomber targets roadside police checkpoint
Police and rescue officials said the attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives to the checkpoint before detonating it. The blast caused multiple casualties, with the dead and injured subsequently being taken to a nearby hospital. Some of those wounded were reported to be in critical condition, according to a spokesman for the provincial emergency service.
The attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where militant violence has remained a persistent security concern. Recent attacks in the province have also targeted police and other security personnel.
Grey smoke rises from blast site
Videos circulating on social media showed a large cloud of grey smoke rising from the reported site of the explosion.
One visual recorded closer to the site showed smoke billowing from the area, while bricks and other debris could be seen scattered around the spot where the explosion allegedly occurred.
The latest attack adds to a recent series of militant incidents in northwestern Pakistan, where security forces and police have faced repeated attacks.